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Predator Free New Zealand Trust

@predatorfreenz

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We are an independent charitable trust with the shared vision of a predator free Aotearoa.

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Monitoring of pekapeka (long-tailed bats) near the Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park has shown a threefold increase in bat activity due to effective ground-based and aerial predator control 🦇 by @predatorfreenz

We ❤️ our ground-based birds that grew strong legs, fat bodies, and excellent running skills. by @predatorfreenz

@tasmania has Neil the seal, Seattle has Jimothy...and the Bay of Islands has Dale the banded rail!

Encountering native wildlife is so special and comes with responsibilities. Trapping predators, managing pets, being respectful of space, and not feeding them human food all help wildlife thrive alongside us! by @predatorfreenz

The strange-looking tusks on male Mercury Island tusked wētā are more than just for show. Wētā jostle and try to flip one another over, sometimes pinning their opponent against a surface until it gives up. But when it comes to predators, they prefer to hide in a burrow – which wasn’t much use against introduced rats, which drove them to the brink of extinction.

Link in bio for the full story.

Image credits: Danilo Hegg (Wētā Conservation Charitable Trust), Tim Harker, Colin Miskelly, Simon Lamb by @predatorfreenz

That’s right.

There really is nothing better.

You can maximise your chances by planting native trees and trapping introduced predators.

Photo credit: Caiden B by @predatorfreenz

Nature has its own Halloween soundtrack!

But here's the real jump scare: 8 in 10 of our bird species are threatened or at risk of becoming threatened with extinction.

Predator control is one way we can help keep these extraordinary (and frankly, haunting) sounds in our forests and wetlands. by @predatorfreenz

Kea on the edge...

Of extinction, actually. Sorry to be a downer, but only about 7,000 alpine parrots remain in the world. It's peak breeding season, when females lay white eggs in natural crevices on the ground. Fledglings spend a lot of time on the ground, too, which makes them easy pickings for stoats and feral cats.

Projects removing introduced predators in kea habitat are keeping this species alive. Have a look and see how you can help protect the coolest mountain parrot in the world. @keaconservation @projectpfsw, @southernlakessanctuary, @docgovtnz, @temanahunaaoraki

Epic footage and song choice by @jordgonewalking by @predatorfreenz

There's no such thing as an ordinary animal!

📷
Tarāpuka - Greg Hadley
Pāteke - Saryu Mae
North Auckland worm (we think, hard to identify) - Tommy Forrest
Mātātā - Ben Ackerley
Archey's frog - Sara Smerdon
Weweia - Alfie Benbow by @predatorfreenz

Predator Free South Westland (@projectpfsw) has been trialling new thermal drone technology to identify and investigate predator behaviour along the project's vast coastline.

Expanding the predator free toolkit is crucial to understanding animal behaviour in different habitats. There’s established knowledge of what critters will do and why, but each animal is an individual and won’t act exactly like the others. Predator Free 2050 projects are chasing predators down to the last one; understanding their behaviour could be the difference between catching it or leaving it behind to breed. by @predatorfreenz

Kōtuku (white heron) have returned to their breeding site at Waitangiroto Nature Reserve, and they're looking fabulous.

Their breeding site is within the @projectpfsw area, so they're living their best lives without introduced predators.

Kōtuku are a stunning bird throughout the year, but especially beautiful during breeding season when they grow longer white feathers on their backs.

Photo credit: Beth Chapman by @predatorfreenz

Haters will say this is AI, but real ones know pepetuna (puriri moth) can be yellow, not just green. This one was spotted by Raúl Johnson in Taranaki

Read more pepetuna facts in our latest article (link in bio) by @predatorfreenz

Slow, steady and looking a little creaky, this tawaki (Fiordland crested penguin) was spotted moulting on Banks Peninsula by @judah_gray123

Tawaki breed in and around Fiordland in winter, and raise chicks in the spring and early summer. They then head to sea to fatten up before moulting in mid-January to early March. Most adults return to their breeding grounds in the southwestern South Island, but some tawaki, especially juveniles, end up elsewhere around the country.

Tawaki are declining. They're at risk from fisheries bycatch at sea, and on land, introduced predators (particularly stoats) are the main threat. by @predatorfreenz