The hunt for the final few: Possum eradication on the Peninsula

The Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group are now in the exciting position of only having a few possums left in the outer sectors of the peninsula, from Portobello to Taiaroa Head. Hunting down these last few possums comes with its own challenges as, unfortunately, the possums still remaining are the sneaky ones who have managed to avoid capture so far.

Another challenge for the team is that these possums are likely to be hiding in ideal possum habitat… not ideal terrain for humans.

One possum has already become infamous and is now referred to within the team as the Te Rauone Bandit, named after the area of bush above Te Rauone Beach. Possums love this area as it is warm, dry, and full of food. For the team, on the other hand, this area is a steep, dense mass of vines and bracken, with a couple of patches of mahoe forest.

All efforts to trap the remaining possums in this area had previously come to nothing, so the scat (poo) detection dogs and hunting team were bought in. Unfortunately, even the hunters were evaded by these possums who kept ducking under the vegetation whenever the hunters spotted them. Thankfully, one of the dogs found signs of a possum in the backyard of a nearby resident and the team quickly headed out with yet another cage trap. This was successful when a few days later they were alerted that a young female possum had been caught.

The team is sure that there is one more individual still in the area, but are hopeful that when they find where it is living, they will finally catch the infamous Te Rauone Bandit.

There is a big push this year to achieve eradication of possums across the whole peninsula, which will involve more intensive trapping and toxin operations in a few specific areas. The team are looking forward to continuing to work with our community to achieve our exciting goal of zero possums within the coming year!

As possum numbers continue to dwindle, it has been wonderful for our team and community to see the increase in native birds and other wildlife being spotted in increasing numbers across the peninsula.

More than ever, it is vital for the community to tell us about any possums they see on the Otago Peninsula. You can report any sightings, dead or alive, immediately through our Report a Possum form.