Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house
Date: 14 May 2025
Feral cats are widespread in New Zealand and have a major impact on our unique native wildlife (such as birds, lizards and bats), as well as spreading diseases like toxoplasmosis. Currently there are limited methods to control feral cats over the large areas where they roam.
As part of the Predator Free 2050 programme, the Department of Conservation (DOC) has been working in partnership with pest control solutions manufacturer, Orillion, to develop a meat sausage bait for application by aircraft for more widespread control of feral cats. DOC is running field trials to test the bait’s effectiveness.
In the first aerial trial last spring, DOC researchers sowed the baits by helicopter over 5000 ha in the St James Conservation Area in North Canterbury. Just one 18 gm sausage was used per hectare or rugby field-sized area.
The results of this field trial are looking promising, says DOC National Eradication Team Manager Stephen Horn.
“We monitored a sample of feral cats fitted with GPS-VHF collars and nine out of ten cats in the trial area quickly found the baits and were killed.
“We also used a grid of 50 cameras to monitor the presence of feral cats before and after the baiting. We detected cats 63 times before the operation and just once after.”
Monitoring through the St James trial also showed stoat and ferret activity declined to very low levels after the operation, most likely from eating baits.
A second trial at Macraes Flat in Otago, which was recently completed, has shown similar results with 100 per cent (11 out of 11) of monitored cats dying, Stephen says.
“It’s exciting – after several years of bait development these trials take us a step closer to being able to register the new bait for wider use.
“A new tool to target feral cats will be a game changer for protecting our vulnerable wildlife, which is found nowhere else in the world.”
The trials involved two applications of bait – the first without toxin to cue feral cats to the sausages and the second using sausages containing small amounts of 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate). They build on earlier research showing the sausage baits are highly attractive to feral cats and not attractive to most native species such as kiwi or to deer.
DOC will carry out a further trial in forested habitat this year. The risk of baits to taonga species like tuna/eel and kea will also be assessed. The results of this work will inform DOC’s application to the Ministry for Primary Industries and Environmental Protection Authority to register the meat bait.
Once registered, DOC plans to use the bait to help remove feral cats from Auckland Island as part of an ambitious plan to eradicate all pests, including feral pigs and mice from this large subantarctic nature reserve. These pests threaten hundreds of native species and have decimated albatross and other seabird populations on the island.
DOC is also working on a second sausage bait using the registered toxin PAPP (para-aminopropiophenone) to directly control stoats. Initial hand-laid field trials show this bait is highly effective. Aerial trials will be carried out this year.
The sausage baits are part of broader work to research and develop new tools and techniques to help achieve New Zealand’s ambitious goal of becoming predator free by 2050.
Background information
Feral cats are found throughout New Zealand in a range of habitats from the coast to alpine areas. They are opportunistic and skilled hunters and prey on native birds, bats and lizards. They have a significant impact on some threatened species such as kea, kakī/black stilt and pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel.
Contact
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz
