By Charlotte Shipman
The Department of Conservation is championing a deadly new possum trap.
The device, invented by a Wellington company, can kill repeatedly – without needing to be reset by hand. It has been rated the most human trap ever developed here.
Twelve possums can be killed in the self-resetting traps before the carbon dioxide gas canister needs to be replaced.
In a trial, 10 traps were set over 1km of land. A total 36 possums were killed in just seven nights.
It has taken three years to refine the design – the piston which drives through the possum’s skull took six months to develop and was revised 31 times.
“The face you can carry 30 of them at one time... that you can set them up in a matter of minutes, all goes into the design. It’s not just about making sure you can kill a possum, it’s about making sure everyone else can kill the possums,” says Goodnature designer Robbie Greig.
Installation takes two screws and around two minutes.
The bait is cinnamon or aniseed flavoured oil, which isn’t poisonous.
Currently DOC spends around $20 million a year on pest control. With 8 million hectares of land to take care of, DOC knows it needs a palatable solution to our pest problem.
“I think it’s exciting,” says Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson. “It looks as though it could be effective and efficient and save some money. Obviously it’s early days and it’s going to be an evolving technology.”
Nearly two years ago Goodnature released a trap designed for stoats. It is now being used in Hawaii and the Pacific Islands as well as throughout New Zealand.
Eight regional city councils are also trialling the new possum traps, which cost just under $150.
3 News
source: newshub archive
