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Mick Clout - conservation
From Nine to Noon 28 January 2015
Professor Mick Clout of the University of Auckland is one of those spearheading the push to make New Zealand predator free by 2040. The Conservation Ecology Professor was recently awarded the 2014 Marsden Medal by the New Zealand Association of Scientists, and has chaired the Kakapo Recovery Group for the past 20 years.
He says the idea of a predator free country may seem like an impossible task, but if everyone gets on board, and the work starts at the top of the country, it is do-able.
Mick Clout is Professor of Conservation Ecology at the University of Auckland. (Photo taken in Auckland by Ian MacDonald).
Mick Clout (chair of the Kakapo Recovery Group since 1995) handling an as yet unnamed young male kakapo on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island in December 2014. All kakapo are radio-tagged and are caught and checked regularly. The number of known kakapo has risen from 51 to 126 over the past 20 years. This is due to the intensive recovery programme run by DOC, involving removing predatory mammals from key islands, monitoring all kakapo and their nests, providing supplementary food, and hand-raising of chicks when needed.
Mick Clout (chair of the Kakapo Recovery Group since 1995) handling an as yet unnamed young male kakapo on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island in December 2014. All kakapo are radio-tagged and are caught and checked regularly. The number of known kakapo has risen from 51 to 126 over the past 20 years. This is due to the intensive recovery programme run by DOC, involving removing predatory mammals from key islands, monitoring all kakapo and their nests, providing supplementary food, and hand-raising of chicks when needed.
A rechargeable ‘Spitfire’ device set on the trunk of a beech tree in a South Island forest. Possums are attracted by a bait/lure under the hood at the top of the device and are sprayed on the chest with a toxic gel (containing zinc phosphide) from a nozzle just below the hood, when standing on the platform. The device only triggers when an animal above a set weight stands on the platform in this configuration (see other photo). This avoids non-target poisoning of other wildlife. This is one example of new technologies that have been developed for widespread pest control, adding to the existing arsenal of traps and poisons. The ‘Spitfire’ has been developed by a national (Lincoln-based) research team, of which Helen Blackie and Jamie MacKay (previous PhD students of Mick Clout) have been members. (Photo: Helen Blackie)
A possum feeding from a ‘Spitfire’ device attached to a tree. The possum is attracted by a bait/lure and is sprayed on its chest with a toxic gel (containing zinc phosphide) when it stands in this way on the platform. When the possum later grooms this gel from its fur it receives a toxic dose, which kills it quickly. The Spitfire device only triggers when an animal above a set weight stands on the platform in this configuration: thereby avoiding non-target poisoning of other wildlife. (Photo taken in Canterbury, April 2013 by Helen Blackie).
Kereru (NZ pigeon) are fruit pigeons, which occur only in New Zealand. As shown in this photo, they have a large gape. They are the main dispersers of several large-fruited trees (eg. taraire, karaka, miro, puriri), whose fruits they swallow whole. Mick Clout and his postgraduate students have studied this bird, its important ecological role, and threats to its survival, such as nest predation by possums and rats. A current study by PhD student Alice Baranyovits focuses on urban kereru in the Auckland region. (Photo: Josie Galbraith, Auckland).
Stoats pose significant threats as predators of native wildlife. Research by Andrew Veale (previous PhD student supervised by Mick Clout) on the invasion ecology and genetics of stoats on islands around New Zealand has revealed their ability to colonise and recolonise offshore islands by swimming. (Photo: Peter Morrin).
Stoats are attractive animals, but pose a major threat to native wildlife in New Zealand. They have a strong sense of smell and are able to detect prey over considerable distances. (Photo: Patrick Garvey, Lincoln, 2013).
Although relatively small, stoats (which were introduced in an unsuccessful attempt to control rabbits) are capable of killing quite large prey, including native birds. (Photo: Patrick Garvey, Lincoln 2013).
Feral cats occur in many parts of New Zealand, although they have been successfully eradicated from several islands, including Hauturu/Little Barrier. They are predators of many native birds and reptiles. Research by Patrick Garvey (PhD student supervised by Mick Clout) is revealing the nature of interactions between predators such as stoats and cats and is investigating the use of novel lures to attract these predators, to improve prospects for their control on the mainland. (Photo: Patrick Garvey, Lincoln 2013).
Ship rat (Rattus rattus). The ship rat is one of the most widely distributed invasive species, globally, and has significant negative impacts on native wildlife, especially on islands. In recent decades ship rats and other invasive rodents have been eradicated from many islands in New Zealand and elsewhere. This has been documented by Mick Clout and especially by his colleague (and ex-PhD student) James Russell, who conducted his PhD research on the invasion ecology of rats on islands.
Cooks petrels are endemic seabird species which nest on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island and Hauturu/Little Barrier. They were studied on Hauturu by Matt Rayner (previous PhD student of Mick Clout). By examining long-term records Matt found that the eradication of rats (kiore), following the earlier eradication of cats, led to major increases in Cooks petrel nesting success. (Photo: Matt Rayner).
The images in this gallery are used with permission and are subject to copyright conditions.