We worked with the Kea Conservation Trust and NZ Ski to assess the risks to Kea from introduced mammalian predators on Ōpuke/Mt Hutt. The iconic skifield, like many in Aotearoa/NZ used to commonly have visits from Kea, but in recent years Kea have disappeared from the mountain.
Michael Ramsbottom worked on a Summer Scholarship funded by the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Canterbury to run 38 camera trap locations following a protocol developed by the Department of Conservation.
Our preliminary results indicate that stoats are prevalent across much of the mountain, including at high-elevation sites. Two different feral cats were observed, which is a low number for such a large area. Compared to other predator tracking studies in similar landscapes, we found relatively low predator activity- a good sign for Kea if they do return to the mountain. Mt Hutt staff are working with DoC and community groups in the area to try to reduce predator numbers even further.
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