08/04/2026
Conservation helping conservation
FERAL RABBITS KILL FERAL CATS ON AOTEA – GREAT BARRIER ISLAND
For the past few years ECO HUNTERS AOTEAROA have been supplying frozen rabbit baits to Windy Hill Sanctuary, Aotea – Great Barrier Island https://windyhillsanctuary.nz/ Windy Hill is the passion project of Judy Gilbert, who bought her 8,000ha property 30 years ago. So far Judy’s Team have eradicated approximately 70,000 rats and 500 feral cats.
Recently ECO HUNTERS have commenced supplying Tu Mai Taonga https://www.tumaitaonga.nz/ with whole rabbit carcasses. “Tū Mai Taonga is a large scale conservation project on Aotea. It is unique in its indigenous Ngāti Rehua Ngātiwai ki Aotea-led approach — underpinned by Te Ao Māori principles that connect people and place. The project involves removing rodents and undertaking one of the world’s largest ever feral cat eradications on an inhabited island. It forms part of Aotearoa New Zealand’s wider goal to become Predator Free by 2050.” Stage one of the project is focussed in Te Paparahi, where there is currently an established network of around 500 traps across 4,500ha. Stage two will see this eradication project pushed out to 26,000 hectares.
You can sponsor feral cat eradication on Aotea – Great Barrier Island by employing ECO HUNTERS AOTEAROA and stipulating that you want your rabbit carcasses to go to Great Barrier.
ECO HUNTERS AOTEAROA is delighted to be able to utilise the rabbit carcasses and would like to thank KAM Transport https://www.kam.net.nz/ for their assistance with logistics.