ONE POT POSSUM

Writers Luise Brandt and Robin Nathan coming up with new pest recipes.

‘How to turn Your Enemies into Your Lunch’

Background:

Aotearoa New Zealand was geologically isolated for 85 million years.

Many of our species of birds, frogs, lizards and plants are found nowhere else on Earth.

Introduced predators such as rats, stoats and possums are the biggest threat to our unique ecosystem. We aim to be completely free from these ‘pests’ by 2050.

Recording the song!

POSSUMS

Possums were brought over from Australia to try and start a fur industry. The cute critters loved NZ conditions and bred so fast they quickly spread throughout the country. People used to think that possums only ate plants but they also eat eggs, chicks and even adults of many of our beautiful native birds. Possums also carry tuberculosis which spreads to cattle. Each year, the New Zealand Government spends over $110 million on possum control.

RATS

The rats in New Zealand are introduced pests and threaten the long-term survival of native species. They eat birds, seeds, snails, lizards, fruit, weta, eggs, chicks, larvae and flowers.

Rodents and other predators have been eradicated from several offshore islands, which are now nature reserves, providing safe havens for many rare and endangered species. But pest control is on-going throughout Department of Conservation (DOC) managed land.

STOATS

Stoats are 'public enemy number one' for New Zealand birds. They are voracious and relentless hunters, described as having only two reasons for living – to eat and to reproduce.

Stoats, weasels and ferrets were introduced to New Zealand to control rabbits, but have had a devastating effect on New Zealand’s unique birdlife.  They are everywhere from beaches to forest to remote high country. Stoats are agile climbers, and hunt at any time, day or night. They are known to be able to swim across water gaps of up to 1.5 km to reach islands