Mana Island rodent
The rat was detected on the wildlife sanctuary early on Saturday morning by live motion sensors monitoring shore plover nests on the island. A shore plover nest was attacked last week.
DOC spokesman Kerry Swadling says staff are now setting out and monitoring a network of 140 traps and 130 tracking tunnels to track down the pest.
It was not known how many rats are on the island or how they had arrived, but the most likely scenario is that it arrived on the island on a log or swam from a boat.
Surveillance and trapping will continue on Mana Island for two years following no additional evidence of rat presence. This is required for the island to be classed as pest free.









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