Animal pests are decimating natural wildlife in New Zealand forests and in our suburb.
They do this by predation – eating small birds, birds’ eggs, lizards, and insects. They also compete with our wildlife by eating their food – plants, insects and seeds.
Rats, cats, stoats, possums, rabbits and hedgehogs all have a detrimental effect on our wildlife.
Centennial Park Bush Society volunteers are trapping for possums and stoats, and laying rat poison to control rats and mice to very low levels.
We look after a network of bait stations
These stations are throughout the park and in private land throughout Campbells Bay, funded and supported by Auckland Council. These bait stations are securely fixed and locked.
The program of baiting is to pulse the bait. This means each bait station is loaded in January, April, August and November. They are then checked and reloaded 1-2 times over the month and all bait is removed at the end of the month.
Currently we are using Contrac = bromadialone rat poison. There is a very small risk that your cat or dog may eat a poisoned rat. In this case if your animal becomes unwell, your vet can supply an antidote. The chance of this is small as most poisoned rats disappear to their nests to die. All local vets have been informed.
We have eight volunteers looking about about 80 bait stations in the reserve
We also have a network of 150 or so bait stations for rat control over 17 bait lines in private land outside the park. A few properties are fitted with self re-setting Goodnature A24 rat killing machines.
If your property is not on one of these bait lines we can offer you
- a free loan rat trap and protective cover or box
- a free loan possum trap
- rat bait at cost
Currently we have vacancies for a few more volunteers.
If you would like to help out please email bushsoc@gmail.com
Birdlife in the bay is already benefiting from years of sustained predator control
Further information
For more information see Auckland Council Pest Animals
Campbells Bay Urban Sanctuary 