PREDATOR FREE WHANGAPOUA
AKA "The Rat Pack"
In late 2024 "The Rat Pack" combined to form Predator Free Whangapoua (PFW), financially supported by the Whangapoua Community Association and generous donors with a connection to Whangapoua.
Our first target is to protect Te Rehutae/Opera Point - an historic Ngāti Huarere headland pa site and well loved local walking and swimming area. Te Rehutae has remnant Pohukawa and well established native regrowth including dune areas that provide habitats for a variety of seabirds. Both the native plants and the birds have suffered from uncontrolled possums, rats and mustelids.
In November 2024 we installed 10 AT220 Autotraps to protect Te Rehutae in a defensive line along its boundary. We have also installed another 3 AT220’s well inside the headland. To date, 79 possums and 336 rats have been removed from traps protecting the headland.
All traps are geolocated on Trap NZ and kills recorded. Because we use the Autotraps app to pair with the traps, we know exactly how many pests have been killed and the battery and eye status. Whangapoua is a holiday destination, so using traps that only need periodic checking is a game changer for a group like ours.
We can’t speak highly enough about the service that NZ Autotraps provides - whenever we have a question or an old trap that needs a tidy up, they are straight onto it. We are looking forward to installing more AT220’s to protect this beautiful place.
If you are interested in seeing the scope of the traps visit Trap NZ sign up and search for Predator Free Whangapoua.