Half a tonne of pests have been killed in 36 hours as part of an eradication programme started by a Rotorua tourism company.
Rotorua Canopy Tours says it is staggered by the size of the catch, which is made up of 95 possums, 261 rats, four stoats and 16 mice.
Several hundred pests were killed in 36 hours. Photo: Rotorua Canopy Tours
The company says the catch is the start of a week-long effort to eliminate three tonnes of pests from the Dansey Road Scenic Reserve where it operates.
Managing director James Fitzgerald hopes that will put a dent in the predator population in time for the breeding season and boost the survival rate of native chicks.
He says the project is an excellent model for other tourism companies.
"New Zealand trades off the environment and it's come in for quite a bit of flak recently ... companies can look at the environment they use and see how they can put back into it," he says.
Mr Fitzgerald says the eradication effort has cost his company about $30,000 but it is hoping the return of bird song to the forest will help boost visitor numbers and attract corporate sponsorship.
The Department of Conservation says it is thrilled with the success and hopes more private companies will set up similar programmes.
