AN ANONYMOUS letter claiming that possums have been released in one of New Zealand鈥檚 most prized wildlife sanctuaries has sparked an urgent hunt for the animals. There have also been threats to release stoats in other sanctuaries.
The letters appear to come from hunters disgruntled with the policies of the country鈥檚 largest conservation organisation, the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society. The RFBPS campaigns against introduced game species that destroy New Zealand鈥檚 natural vegetation. These include deer, wallaby and tahr, a Himalayan mountain goat. The tahr is particularly prized by hunters, who come from all over the world to shoot it. But the RFBPS wants it eradicated because of the destruction it causes.
The threats came in a series of seven letters received by the police, the Department of Conservation and the RFBPS. At least one threatened the release of stoats on Codfish Island. And on 7 January, the RFBPS received a letter stating, 鈥淚 have let elevin [sic] opossums go on Kapiti. More to follow.鈥� A day later, a letter from an organisation called the 鈥淏iodiversity Action Group鈥� 鈥� not linked to the British conservation group of the same name 鈥� threatened to release pests unless policies on tahr are changed.
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What makes the threats so disturbing is that they appear to be targeting one of the world鈥檚 rarest birds, the kakapo, a large flightless parrot. 鈥淲e have to take the threat seriously,鈥� says New Zealand鈥檚 conservation minister Chris Carter. By targeting the kakapo the group is maximising concern. 鈥淭hey appreciate the enormous effort that is going into preserving this species and its iconic status,鈥� he says.
New Zealand has established 鈥渓ifeboat鈥� sanctuaries by eradicating introduced predators on nearby islands. Kapiti, a 2000-hectare island off the west coast of the North Island, is a sanctuary for rare birds. Codfish Island, off the southern tip of the South Island is home to 68 of the last 86 kakapos (快猫短视频, 1 June 2002, p 32). Possums and stoats could devastate their numbers by eating eggs and competing for food.
No possums have been found on Kapiti yet, but a specially trained dog was brought in last week to track them, and possum poison has been put down.