Park possums target of programme

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 541, 21 June 1994, Page 7

Park possums target of programme

In late June this year, the Department of Conservation will begin a 1080 poison plus ground trapping programme to control possums over 2400 hectares of native forest on the southern boundary of Tongariro National Park. The northern rata forests in this area were once widespread throughout the district. Now it is a forest remnant of less than a few hundred hectares in the Raetihi Hill area near Ohakune. "This remnant is now starting to show signs of ill health as a result of possum browse," said Cam Speedy, senior conservation officer responsible for Animal Control and Protected Species Management for the Department' s Tongariro Taupo Conservancy. "The Department is concerned that if possum numbers are not controlled, plants that possum find palatable in this forest will disappear. This will have serious consequences for native birds and animals which depend on these forests for their survival. "The dead and dying totara, rata and kamahi visible from lower parts of the Ohakune Moun-

tain Road are signs that this forest is in trouble," Mr Speedy said. The possum control operation is being carried out by the Manawata Wanganui Regional Council on behalf of the Department of Conservation. This work is in conjunction with control work the Council has scheduled on adjoining rateable land to protect agricultural interests in the area. Kevin Battersby, pest supervisor for the Regional Council said that the additional control being funded by DoC will be of major benefit to cattle and green crop farmers whose land adjoins the operational area. "In the last twelve months we've had a big increase in the number of green crop farmers with possum problems in this area," Mr Battersby said. The possum control operation will use of a combination of ground trapping techniques and aerially distributed 1080 poisoned pellet baits. This will depend on the natare of the terrain and the level and nature of public use in

the areas being treated. Infra-red programme Meanwhile, infra-red technology is being brought into play in the battle of the possum. The Animal Health Board and the Department of Conservation last week announced a new infra-red monitoring system using high-resolu-tion equipment to detect possum numbers in a wide range of habitats and terrain. "If successful the heat sensing equipment will provide a great advantage to possum control agencies. It will allow them to more accurately measure the success of an operation and at the same time identify localised pockets of remaining possums for targeted control," said Nick Hancox, National Possum Co-ordinating Committee spokesman. "It also provides an opportunity for possum populations to be maintained at low levels after control operations by identifying where numbers of possums-are increasing and allow control to.be more targetted. This will also help reduce the amount of poison used."