Stories and research

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Kea showing the orange under its wing

Brainy, beautiful and beloved: so why are kea disappearing?

Dubbed ‘the clever clowns of the Alps’, kea are much loved for their cheeky spirit and keen intelligence.
A volunteer walking

From sadness to action: East Porirua blends social and environmental justice

Aotearoa Pasifika Men’s Group felt the absence of birdsong in Porirua. So they did something about it.
Photo of Otago Peninsula with garden produce and native birds superimposed

When possums disappear, gardens rebound on Otago Peninsula

Otago Peninsula is possum free, and residents have been enjoying thriving native gardens and more native birds than many can remember.
Predator Free Wellington worker using a stick to push a bait station into rat habitat.

Do it yourself: 5 homemade predator control tools

Homegrown Kiwi innovation is doing heaps for predator control, and it’s not just the big players with fancy products. 
The DOC AI Cam with an inset false colour night image of a possum

AI thermal camera gives new insights for better trapping

A new AI thermal camera watching traps overnight revealed some surprising results that are changing the way this trapping group targets predators.
A kōkako in a tree

Super mum: oldest known breeding female kōkako still going strong

In human years, she wouldn’t quite qualify for a Gold Card, but in kōkako years, Ruahine is a living legend.
a group of smiling people with traps

Thousands of dollars invested in backyard trapping

Supported by the Simplicity Foundation, these community groups across Aotearoa have received funding from our Predator Free Communities Funding Programme.
Illustration of a mountain biker seeing a kiwi on a trail at night.

How 10 cm of wood helped bring kiwi back to Wellington

Kiwi are finally back in the hills above Wellington. What got them there was years of controlling stoats – and unexpectedly, a ten-centimetre piece of wood. 
A before and after of a trap, after showing it cleaned up

Keep going: five more things to do if your trap isn’t catching rats

Tried some of our troubleshooting tips but still struggle to catch predators? It doesn’t mean there aren’t any left. Here are five *more* things you can do.
An injured kōtare on a towel

Cats drive 93% of predation admissions at Auckland wildlife hospital

New preliminary research shows cats are responsible for nearly all predation injuries treated at BirdCare Aotearoa.
Runnings wearing medals and holding posters with NZ wildlife on them.

Running for kiwi: 600 people trail run to bring the birds back

A sold-out trail run raised thousands of dollars for predator control to bring kiwi back to Muriwai, an hour northwest of Auckland.
Grey-face petrel in a nest

From two burrows to 150: saving seabirds in Auckland

Volunteer traplines have helped grow a mainland colony of ōi (grey-faced petrel) from just two burrows to more than 150 today. Guest writer Mike Fox explains.
A weka on a beach

The weka dilemma

Weka can be delightful and entertaining, but their opportunistic appetite for other birds’ eggs and chicks can cop them some controversy.
Weasel with a gecko in its mouth

Wee and wily: 5 facts about weasels

Small, swift and secretive, weasels were brought here to control rabbits, which backfired on humans, weasels and native wildlife.
Collage of critters on a black background

From mess to paradise: this transformed garden comes alive at night

Once choked with weeds, this garden now comes alive on warm wet nights with hunting cave spiders, lichen-feeding snails, and twinkling glowworms.