POSSUMS
Both Pohokura and the Maungataniwha Native Forest are treated at intervals with 1080 poison coated with deer repellent. The aim is to reduce possum numbers and control the spread of bovine tuberculosis.
Pohokura was the site of the first large-scale experiment in New Zealand to test deer repellent bait developed jointly by EPRO and Landcare Research.
Additional possum control, in the form of trapping, takes place in the Maungataniwha Native Forest.
We have also worked with Landcare Research / Manaaki Whenua on pest control experimentation at our Lake McKerrow property in Fiordland. This work has tested the efficacy of a range of possum and rat control methods, and the rate of reinvasion relating to each.
Lake McKerrow is an ideal site for this type of work as the lake itself ensures that reinvasion can happen only from the control area.