October 5, 2019
Ferrets and stoats were introduced into New Zealand to stop the rabbits. But they started eating ground birds eggs. In six years the bird population decreased dramatically.
The New Zealand Department of Conservation now put out traps. These traps are wooden boxes with a little hole in one end. Inside the traps there is a chicken egg. These traps catch ferrets, stoats, mice and rats.
Along the Routeburn Track there are blue markers showing the locations of the traps. The DOC also put out pellets you can see these on the side of the hiking track.
By Finn
