Pukawa Wildlife Management Trust

The PWMT was set up to improve the birdlife in and around the Pukawa settlement on the southern shores of Lake Taupo. By controlling the animal pests such as rats, possums and mustelids known to be living in the forest and reserves surrounding Pukawa, it was hoped the birdlife would have a better chance of surviving and successfully breeding.
The PWMT has established a network of 350 box traps as well as rat cafes to dispense rat poison. It also uses Timms traps and the new Goodnature self setting traps targeting rats and possums.
The traps are regularly serviced by a dedicated team of both local residents as well as holiday home owners who regularly visit the area.
Detailed records of what has been caught where, have been kept since the PWMT started and show what can be achieved. To date over 6000 rats and 530 possums have been removed, along with stoats, weasels, ferrets, cats and hedgehogs. Regular bird call counts have been carried out to confirm and quantify the difference this work is having on the birdlife.
Visitors staying in Pukawa are often amazed at the number and variety of native birds they see and hear.