Since early 2018, Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP) has been carrying out a trial which aims to completely remove possums, rats, and potentially stoats from 12,000 hectares of rugged back-country in the Perth River valley, South Westland – and to then permanently prevent these predators from re-establishing.
The Perth River predator removal operation was completed on 23rd July 2019. Since this time the ZIP field team has been carrying out an intensive detection effort within the valley, so that any remaining possums, rats or stoats can be removed before they begin to re-populate the area.
Four months after the operation, very few possums and rats, and no stoats, had been detected in the valley - an extraordinary achievement.