Podcasts about predator free

Phase two of Predator Free Wellington's groundbreaking project to rid our capital of rats is well underway. They've learned a lot from their work on the Miramar Peninsula, but with this new chapter comes new challenges – not just backyards, but a hospital, and even a zoo! Charlie Dreaver meets some of the team out fighting this battle on multiple interesting fronts. Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Learn more:The target for Wellington to become New Zealand's first predator-free city was announced by Conservation Minister Tama Potaka in March, as part of a Predator Free 2050 strategy update.In November last year the government added feral cats to the Predator Free 2050 list of targeted predators, likely in response to RNZ's In-Depth team's reporting about the destruction they cause, and a pre-election promise.Learn more about other large predator removal projects such as Predator Free Rakiura and Predator Free South Westland, and the plan to make Auckland Island predator free.Guests:Zara Koorey, Predator Free WellingtonJames Wilcocks, Predator Free WellingtonChirs Jerram, Te Nukuao Wellington ZooSally Bain, Predator Free WellingtonGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Possums remain one of the biggest threats to our native species, with an estimated 30 million of them roaming around. Predator Free NZ has a great library of guides and resources to help gear towards our Predator Free 2050 goal. And their latest advice is think of it as a party! Yes, actually. To explain Jesse is joined by Pest Free Banks Peninsula operations coordinator Ollie Rutland-Sims.

Wellington is targeted to become New Zealand's first predator-free city. Announced back in March, Predator Free Wellington is receiving $5.5 million over five years, working alongside Capital Kiwi and Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne to eliminate predators from the area. And while Kevin Milne is pleased overall by the news, there is one sticking point for him: hedgehogs. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's Predator Free 2050 manager Brent Beaven explains what it takes to run a nationwide effort to eliminate invasive predators and protect native wildlife. He describes the scale of the challenge and the long‑term coordination across communities, scientists, and government.

New Zealand is launching the next phase of its unprecedented conservation program. The country's capital is to become a blueprint for an entire nation — and for a bird that has almost disappeared. - Neuseeland startet die nächste Phase seines beispiellosen Naturschutzprogramms. Die Hauptstadt des Landes soll zur Blaupause für eine ganze Nation werden – und für einen Vogel, der fast verschwunden ist.

Wellington has been officially targeted to become New Zealand's first predator-free city, creating a blueprint for the rest of the country. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka spoke to Melissa Chan-Green

The Government's taking aim at pests, as it pays into work to make the capital an official predator-free city. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says $5.5 million dollars will go into to targeting pests over more than 18,000 hectares in Wellington over five years. Predator Free Wellington chair Tim Pankhurst says it's important for the city to protect what's already been cleared, so that new pests don't get into 'safe' areas. "We've got an enormous network of traps and cameras and so on...we cleared Miramar Peninsula a couple of years ago. We have had a couple of reintroductions, and we've tracked those by camera and tracked them down and dealt to them." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since 2018 there's been a massive effort underway to clear over 110,000 hectares of South Westland of possums, rats and stoats. As the pest numbers have dropped the native flora and fauna seem to have flourished. The eradication stage is now nearing completion, and the focus is switching to maintenance. What will it take to keep the pests out long-term? And what can be learned from this large-scale project that could be used elsewhere in Aotearoa? Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.Learn more:Read/Listen to the rest of the reports from Tess Brunton's reporting trip to the West Coast, about the eradication project, the work of species dogs, the feedback from tour operators and how rowi, New Zealand's rarest kiwi, has been helped come back from the brink.For more on the use of AI in pest management project, listen to how the Southern Lakes Sanctuary team have been making use of it at Wye Creek.Guests:Chad Cottle, Predator Free South WestlandEthan Perry, Predator Free South WestlandNate St Hill, Predator Free South WestlandPouri Rakete-Stones, Predator Free South WestlandDion Arnold, White Heron Sanctuary ToursGo to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A semi-retired specialist investigator has been called back to active duty after an intruder was discovered in a sanctuary off the coast of Rakiura, Stewart Island. Detector Gadget, a rodent sniffer dog is now patrolling Ulva Island, Te Wharawhara, after a young female rat was found in a trap there earlier this month. The island achieved predator free status in 1997 and is home to native species including the Stewart Island brown kiwi, tokoeka, the kaka, and South Island saddlebacks. Gadget's handler, Sandy King spoke to Lisa Owen.

A volunteer conservation trust has begun building a predator proof fence across the base of Farewell Spit. 

On today's REX Daily Podcast, Dom talks with Stu Davison from HighGround Dairy about the latest Global Dairy Trade Event (-4.3%), what's behind the string of negative results and what it means for the milk price... He talks with Dr Victoria Hatton, Food HQ CEO, about its recent panel discussion looking at the consumer trends NZ food and drink exporters need to be aware of to be successful in global markets and current attitudes towards meat and dairy... And he talks with Natalie Lloyd, Immediate Past President of the Companion Animal Veterinarian (CAV) Branch of the NZVA and CAV representative on the National Cat Management Group, about the inclusion of feral cats in the Predator Free 2050 strategy. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

Dom talks with Natalie Lloyd, Immediate Past President of the Companion Animal Veterinarian (CAV) Branch of the NZVA and CAV representative on the National Cat Management Group, about the inclusion of feral cats in the Predator Free 2050 strategy. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

Cats and dogs who are part of our families are much loved and live the life of Riley. There must be some days when your cat or dog is lying curled up in the sun with a full tummy, waiting for 3 o'clock when the kids come home and surround it with love, or waiting for you to take it for a walk, or waiting for you to sit down so it can curl up in your lap and they must think to themselves, by crikey, I struck the jackpot. I am one lucky little fur baby. But cats and dogs that have been abandoned and live miserable lives eking out an existence in the bush and on the edges of the city are dangerous pests and they're in the sights of DOC. The New Zealand Veterinary Association and its Companion Animal Veterinarian Branch are the latest organisations to come out in support of feral cats' inclusion in the Predator Free 2050 Strategy. And there have been calls for wild dogs to be officially labelled pests too, so there can be more freedom to eradicate them. With the dogs, it comes after so many attacks in the Far North, the latest, an international ultra runner and his support crew were attacked by dogs on the Te Araroa Trail in January of this year and I believe there's still a wild dog warning along the Te Paki Coastal Track near Cape Reinga. There are limited options to tackle an animal problem if it is not labelled a pest. The dogs, for instance, you can only do what DOC is doing, and that's the authorised hunts but farmers are allowed to kill dogs on their own property if they're threatening them or their animals. And there have been numerous instances of herds and flocks being savaged by these feral dogs who are starving and desperate and also don't mind a little light sport of murdering and ravaging. So farmers are able to attack those dogs. You can also humanely trap them legally. But once you put an animal into the Predator Free 2050 charter, it will align national efforts, improve clarity, and support reasonable feral animal management practices, such as desexing, microchipping and containment. The vets say feral cats, while sentient, pose a serious threat to native wildlife and are implicated in the spread of diseases such as toxoplasmosis. So cats are in, but at this stage, dogs are still out. The vets say it's critical that humane destruction methods are employed for all pests included in the strategy, and I'd support that. You don't want any animal to suffer needlessly, but a country that prides itself on its native flora and fauna, sells itself to visitors on its flora and fauna, needs to be able to control the pests that threaten that. It's the human pests who neglect their pets, who dump unwanted litters of kittens and pups who are at fault here. A Far North dog advocate says as the economy worsens and people get poorer, the situation is getting worse because people don't have the money to fence their properties, they don't have the money to feed their dogs properly, they're exhausted, so they don't walk the dogs wander. The current laws, advocates for change say, do not serve communities well and lead to inconsistencies in the way councils around the country approach the roaming dog problem. The advocate says mandatory desexing, except for dogs belonging to registered breeders, would help but the absolute key to changing behaviour is community education about how to care for dogs and be safe around them. The Far North Mayor Moko Tepania supports a push by Auckland Council for greater powers to be able to desex roaming dogs when they're picked up. So your dog might have been a fully kitted out male when you let it go wandering off your property, but it'll come back to you neutered. Same with the females. And I don't have a problem with that either. Trapping, desexing and freeing feral cats was the strategy of choice of the wealthy cat ladies who were my neighbours when I was living next to a big park in Freeman's Bay in Auckland. These beautifully dressed women would take it in turns, there was a roster, to go around Western Park, trapping the cats, taking them to the vets, paying for them to be desexed, and then they'd set them free again. 'Oh yes, they'll kill a few birds and, but, you know, ultimately it will be a problem solved in the future'. They couldn't bear to see the cats put down, even humanely, but they could live with desexing them knowing that there wouldn't be future cats who would be living on the edges of the city. I just don't think it's a viable option, given how many feral cats there are in New Zealand. Nobody knows how many. The range from 2.5 million to 14 million is so wide, it makes it meaningless, but we do need to be able to treat feral animals as pests. Cats and dogs who belong to a family get all the protection in the world. You desex them, you microchip them, you love them. Cats and dogs that are neglected, unloved, and have turned feral, they should be fair game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kennedy Warne joins Kathryn from Northland, where he's been visiting a marae teaching traditional weaving. Kennedy also talks about two of the double-hulled waka of the Hawaii-based Polynesian Voyaging Society which are in New Zealand at the moment as part of a five-year circumnavigation of the Pacific. And cats have been included in the Predator Free 2050 target list - he talks about how hard it is to trap them.

"Stone cold killers". That's how Conservation Minister Tama Potaka describes feral cats, which he's just added to the Predator Free 2050's hitlist. It means that feral cats will join the likes of stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats and possums on the official list of pests targeted for total eradication from these shores. This is a sharp change of policy - revealed to exclusively to RNZ by the Minister today. He sat down with Farah Hancock who spoke to Lisa Owen.

Feral cats will join stoats, ferrets, weasels and rats and possums on the list of species targeted for eradication. Gareth Morgan spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The Government has officially recognised feral cats as pests and added them to the Predator Free 2050 list. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka described them as 'stone cold killers' and says they need to be dealt with to protect New Zealand's native species. Predator Free NZ Trust chief executive Jessi Morgan says they've been campaigning on this move for a long time and it's 'exciting' to see it in motion. "I think New Zealanders are ready for this and they've actually been calling out for it. So I don't think it's going to cause any issue at all." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Huddle, Phil O'Reilly from Iron Duke Partners and Jack Tame from ZB's Saturday Mornings and Q&A joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! NZ First is looking to repeal the Regulatory Standards Act ahead of the election. ACT's David Seymour isn't thrilled - what do we make of this? What's Winston's plan here? The Government has officially recognised feral cats as pests and added them to the Predator Free 2050 list. Do we think this is a good idea? What are the risks here? New research shows the ban on phones in schools is working - but the ERO recommends the Government can go further. Do we need social media restrictions next? Heather was at last night's Metallica concert and she saw a fan in the stands rocking out - before he was encouraged to sit down. Heather says fans should be able to stand and move at concerts if you want - do we agree? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Thursday, 20 November 2025, Education Minister Erica Stanford talks whether she's going to go further on digital restrictions in our schools. Heather asks Wellington Mayor Andrew Little whether he'll cancel the Golden Mile project altogether - after the council voted to pause the works. Predator Free New Zealand Trust CEO Jessi Morgan celebrates the government's move to add feral cats to the Predator Free 2050 hitlist. David Seymour talks his comments about Winston Peters wanting to repeal the Regulatory Standards Bill. Plus, the Huddle debates whether you can stand at a concert - no matter what sort of ticket you have. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2023, Christopher Luxon promised his government would add feral cats to the list of species included in Predator Free 2050. More than two years on, it still hasn't happened. In Depth reporter Farah Hancock spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

In 2017, a group of Wellingtonians got together with the goal of eradicating pests on the Miramar peninsula to prove that it could be done. 

How does someone accused of extreme violence walk out of court without a day in prison? In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we expose the loophole that turned outrage into disbelief across Oklahoma. Eighteen-year-old Jesse Mack Butler faced serious felony charges after two teenage girls were brutally attacked. Doctors said one almost didn't survive. But instead of decades behind bars, Butler walked free under a single year of supervision thanks to Oklahoma's Youthful Offender Act—a law designed to rehabilitate kids, not shield violent offenders. Tony digs deep into how this happened:  ⚖️ How prosecutors and judges use the Youthful Offender statute.  

How does someone accused of extreme violence walk out of court without a day in prison? In this episode of Hidden Killers with Tony Brueski, we expose the loophole that turned outrage into disbelief across Oklahoma. Eighteen-year-old Jesse Mack Butler faced serious felony charges after two teenage girls were brutally attacked. Doctors said one almost didn't survive. But instead of decades behind bars, Butler walked free under a single year of supervision thanks to Oklahoma's Youthful Offender Act—a law designed to rehabilitate kids, not shield violent offenders. Tony digs deep into how this happened:  ⚖️ How prosecutors and judges use the Youthful Offender statute.  

West Coast tourism operators says they're seeing birds and plants they didn't know lived in the area since predators were cleared. Tourism reporter Tess Brunton has more.

On today's REX Daily Podcast, Dom talks with Olivia Rothwell, Predator Free 2050 Programme & Information Manager (R&D), about the disestablishment of the Crown-owned company, its legacy and the development of 20 new pest control tools... And he talks with George Reeves, Commercial Director at Ruminant Biotech, about winning the Prototype category at the recent Fieldays Innovation Awards for its slow-release bolus 'Emitless', which delivers over 75% methane reduction in cattle for 100 days from a single treatment, how it works and the possibility for farmers to be financially rewarded for using the product and other methane inhibitors in the future. Tune in daily for the latest and greatest REX rural content on your favourite streaming platform, visit rexonline.co.nz and follow us on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn for more.

Predator Free 2050 was hit by a budget blow, and now the 'moonshot' goal is under threat The environmental sector worries that the future of a predator-free Aotearoa is in jeopardy after the Government swung the axe in the latest budget…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Waipa District Council is pushing for feral cats to added to DOC's predator free hit list. There are an estimated 2.4 million feral cats in New Zealand compared to 1.2 million pet cats, and about 200,000 stray cats. They are considered a significant threat to native wildlife, particularly birds. Now the conservation department has asked for feedback on whether feral cats should be a so-called target species. Waipa District councillor Marcus Gower spoke to Lisa Owen.

One of the less discussed announcements in 2025's budget was the disestablishment of Predator Free 2050. The project was announced by former Prime Minister John Key in 2016, with the ambitious goal of complete pest eradication in Aotearoa.  The government's contributions to the mission were funneled through ‘Predator Free 2050' a government-funded organisation created to support conservation projects and technologies. These projects funded through Predator Free 2050 will not be affected by the organisation's closure, and will instead be passed on to the Department of Conservation. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says the change will increase efficiency and reduce duplication.  While it's good news that the funding won't be affected on paper, the Department of Conservation is already struggling to manage its existing commitments. With these additional responsibilities, the future of the Predator Free mission has become less certain.  To discuss conservation in Aotearoa and how this cut will affect the Predator Free mission, Wire host Castor spoke to General Manager at Forest and Bird, Richard Capie.

This week on the Tuesday Wire... For Dear Science, our expert, Professor Allan Blackman, chatted with us about discounting claims of life on k2-18b, stories of a mysterious ninth planet, and 'The Blue Danube' heading to outer space.  In our weekly catchup with the National Party's Tom Rutherford, Wire host Castor asked about the new defence spending in 2025's Budget and where everything's going to go.  They also spoke to the General Manager at Forest and Bird, Richard Capie, about the disestablishment of Predator Free 2050.  Producer Faith spoke to Professor Robert MacCulloch from the University of Auckland's School of Business and Economics about the official cash rate (OCR), and whether or not it should drop. She also spoke to Professor Jodi Gardner from the University's Faculty of Law about how the government's Budget 2025 will invest in abuse redress and care reform.

The Department of Conservation is currently seeking feedback on its Predator Free 2050 strategy. The current strategy aims to completely eliminate five predators from New Zealand: rats, stoats, ferrets, weasels and possums. However, they're now asking whether feral cats should be added to the list as well. Predator Free NZ Trust CEO Jessi Morgan told Francesca Rudkin that there's estimated to be between 2.5 million and 14 million feral cats in the native bush. She says that at the time the strategy was originally created, people were less aware of the impact they were having on native species, but there's now an awareness and willingness to have them included. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rats, stoats and possums are being culled across hundreds of thousands of hectares, and the predator free by 2050 goal remains in sight. 

Predator Free Wellington is facing a shortfall of $1.75 million a year, due to a drop in government funding. Environment reporter Kate Green took a tour of its workshop.

The latest release of kiwis in New Zealand has boosted the endangered species' return to suburbs in the capital. It's part of an extensive predator-trapping initiative, which is working to remove all rats, stoats and possums by 2025. - L'ultima liberazione di kiwi in Nuova Zelanda ha favorito il ritorno della specie in pericolo nei sobborghi della capitale. Questo fa parte di una vasta iniziativa di cattura dei predatori, che sta a eliminare tutti i ratti, gli ermellini e gli opossum entro il 2025.

The latest release of kiwis in New Zealand has boosted the endangered species' return to suburbs in the capital. It's part of an extensive predator-trapping initiative, which is working to remove all rats, stoats and possums by 2025. - L'ultima liberazione di kiwi in Nuova Zelanda ha favorito il ritorno della specie in pericolo nei sobborghi della capitale. Questo fa parte di una vasta iniziativa di cattura dei predatori, che sta a eliminare tutti i ratti, gli ermellini e gli opossum entro il 2025.

In 2016 then Prime Minister John Key stood on stage and announced, "by 2050 every single part of New Zealand will be completely free of rats, stoats and possums" To many this was a remarkable statement of intent, but to conservationist Greg Billingham it was just another empty promise from an unaccountable politician. In the years since his view hasn't changed... But he does have an alternative idea - something that's already happening on a small scale.

The latest release of kiwis in New Zealand has boosted the endangered species' return to suburbs in the capital. It's part of an extensive predator-trapping initiative, which is working to remove all rats, stoats and possums by 2025.

An ambitious, complex, and expensive programme aims make three of our largest islands predator free. 

Claire Concannon learns about a hunter-led trapping project aimed at helping whio, our native blue duck, in the Waioeka Gorge. 

On Our Changing World, Claire Concannon heads to the Wye Valley just outside Queenstown.   The Southern Lakes Sanctuary project is setting up a new smart trap network there, the fourth they've built in the region. They hope these AI-powered traps will help them trap more efficiently in difficult-to-reach areas.  Philip Green is a technical and field advisor for the project. He first came to the Wye Valley many years ago for the excellent climbing, and now is heavily involved in its conservation.  

The former president of Federated Farmers, former vice president of the World Dairy Federation, and dairy farmer, updates conditions on the West Coast and the Predator Free conservation efforts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the summer science series! We're kicking off with two stories made by local podcast producers. First, on New Zealand's quest to become predator free by 2050, are we forgetting about mice? Dan Moskovitz, a student at Victoria University of Wellington, investigates what might happen to mice – and ecosystems as more areas become predator free. Then, a story from Xanthe Smith's Catch On podcast. Many people who consume fish stick to eating the fillets, meaning a substantial chunk of the whole fish gets chucked. A project seeks to tackle this food waste by connecting communities with kaimoana.Guests:Associate Professor Stephen Hartley, Victoria University of WellingtonDr Araceli SamaniegoBrent Bevan, Department of ConservationChris Jupp, Kai IkaVera, Kokiri Marae Naenae HubLearn more:Listen to more episodes of Catch On, a podcast by Xanthe Smith for the Office of the Prime Minister's Chief Science AdvisorFind out about the Kai Ika ProjectDr Araceli Samaniego's paper, Small mice create big problemsListen to Voice of Tangaroa for more exploration of ocean issuesWatch Fight for the Wild, a series about Predator Free 2050Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

A pilot using artificial technology to differentiate predators from native birds could be a game-changer for pest control.

One of the trickiest but most significant predators that many conservation organisations deal with is cats. Predator Free NZ carried out an independent study public perceptions relating to cats and found there's a shift in attitudes.

Kate Evans visits a passionate team as they carpet a remote volcanic island in Tonga with poisoned bait, hoping to eradicate rats. What does it take to complete this kind of project, what are the chances of success, and what will it mean for the island's ecosystems if they manage to remove the rats once and for all?  

Kate Evans visits a passionate team as they carpet a remote volcanic island in Tonga with poisoned bait, hoping to eradicate rats. What does it take to complete this kind of project, what are the chances of success, and what will it mean for the island's ecosystems if they manage to remove the rats once and for all?  

The country's smallest native bird, the titipounamu, has set a new record for venturing far from predator-free zones in Wellington. Predator Free Ngaio NZ Judie Alison spoke to Corin Dann.

Despite spending years and millions of dollars, the Tasmanian Fox Eradication team never, not once, not ever, spotted a live fox on the Apple Isle.While their efforts yielded zero foxes, it spawned a tale of lies, alleged corruption, and more scats than you could poke a stick at. Featuring:Ian Townsend, former ABC Radio National Journalist.David Kelly, Manager of the Threatened Species Unit, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service.Jonah Yick, Program leader (Carp Management) Inland Fisheries Service Tasmania.Brent Beaven, Predator Free programme lead (Senior Manager Predator Free 2050), Department of Conservation, NZ.Production:Ann Jones, Presenter/Producer.Petria Ladgrove, Producer.Additional mastering: Nathan Turnbull.This episode of What the Duck?! was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.

An agency driving work to rid Aotearoa of pests, is warning the country's 2050 predator free goal could be an endangered species itself, with areas that are already pest free at risk of being reinvaded. Predator Free 2050 Limited, was set up by the government to organise much of the work towards the 2050 goal, which former Prime Minister John Key announced in 2016. But the charitable company has been plagued by funding and governance issues, including infighting with the Department of Conservation. It's so worried, it's warned the new Conservation Minister Tama Potaka in a briefing that progress towards the goal is actually at risk of going backwards. Freelance journalist and podcaster Eugene Bingham speaks to Lisa Owen

An ambitious project to rid the remote Antipodes Island of introduced mice proved successful in 2018. Claire Concannon visits the spectacular subantarctic island to meet the locals â€" from penguins to megaherbs â€" and the people studying the wildlife. Plus, we learn about what's at stake in the next island eradication challenge for New Zealand.

Predator Free advocates say getting more communities involved in pest eradication efforts will stop the furry vermin making their way into supermarkets. Food Safety officers are on the ground at Countdown supermarkets in both Dunedin and Christchurch after rats and mice were spotted among the groceries. And the South Dunedin store remains closed on Tuesday. Predator Free Wellington project director James Willcocks spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.