Landcare Research - Manaaki Whenua

Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua

Animals in routine field trapping projects

Indicator details

Studies involving routine trapping for pests

For year ending December 31: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Number of studies 18 19 19 13 10 11 13 9
Number of target animals captured 8,984 6,489 5,675 3,866 3,542 2,606 8,533 4,722
Number of non–target animals captured 248 520 177 131 837 291 270 445
(% of total captures) 3% 7% 3% 3% 19% 11% 3% 9%
Number of non–target indigenous animals captured 62 22 44 8 22 2 2 2
(Number of species) 9 9 4 3 3 1 2 1
Number of non–target introduced animals captured 271 498 150 123 815 289 268 443
(Number of species) 11 11 13 13 11 6 8 11
Number of nights of leg–hold trapping 5,922 15,867 10,582 3,529 20,882 9,875 21,784 22,783
Number of non–target animals caught in leg–hold traps 69 82 65 35 371 163 210 348
Capture rate 1.17% 0.52% 0.61% 0.99% 1.78% 1.65% 0.96% 1.53%
(Number of species) 5 3 5 4 10 5 7 8

Summary of main findings for the 2013 calendar year and key comparisons with previous years

  • The amount of leg-hold trapping conducted was the highest since 2003.
  • The number of non-target introduced animals captured, consisting primarily of ship rats, was higher than previous years. One study in particular that relied heavily on Victor no. 1 leg-hold traps was largely undertaken in podocarp-hardwood forests with very low possum densities. In this environment, rats are typically abundant.
  • The number of non-target native animals captured was the equal lowest on record, matched only by the last 2 years’ results. This partly reflects an ongoing awareness of scenarios where indigenous animals may be accidentally captured, and conscious efforts made to greatly reduce that risk. The only native animals captured in 2013 were from one field trip when 2 riflemen were caught in commercially available sticky traps set to sample invertebrates. Both birds regrettably had to be euthanased, however the capture method was subsequently modified with a wire frame, after which no additional vertebrate species were captured.
  • Only 9 studies involved the capture of vertebrate species in the 2013 calendar year, the lowest number on record. This no doubt largely reflects a challenging year for Landcare Research, where there has been a move towards fewer but larger projects.

Accidental bycatch summary

               
For year ending December 31: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Studies 18 19 19 13 10 11 13 9
Target animals captured 8,964 6,489 5,675 3,866 3,542 2,606 8,533 4,722
Non-target introduced animals captured 248 498 150 123 815 289 268 443
Non-target native animals captured 62 22 44 8 22 2 2 2
Non-target native animals killed 0 6 2 0 21 0 1 2

Covered in reporting?

Yes