Rats
Young rat trapper protecting his school
One person who understands the importance of catching rats before they cause destruction is 11-year-old Hugo. He'd seen rats around his school and thought he and a couple of mates could get the issue… Audio, Gallery
How you are 'brainwashed' while you sleep
New research out of Boston University's Department of Biomedical Engineering shows that our brains are actually taking a bath in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) while we are in a deep sleep, cleaning away… Audio
Making Wellington a predator-free city
By the end of this year Predator-Free Wellington hopes that the eastern suburbs on the Miramar Peninsula will be free from rat and stoats. Audio
Our Changing World for 14 November 2019
Predator-free Miramar Peninsula kicked off in the middle of the year and aims to get rid of rats and stoats. It is part of a wider to goal to make Wellington a predator-free capital city. Audio
The pain never goes away - father of suicide victim
Suicide rates have risen yet again - with 685 people dying by suicide in the past year. That's 17 more lives lost.
Arthur Harawira lost his son to suicide when he was just 15 years old, and though it… Audio
Rat numbers rocket: Exterminators busy, Forest & Bird worried
Exploding rat populations across New Zealand have conservationists worried and exterminators busy.
It's been blamed on a mega mast year - which basically means there is more food for predators.
And… Audio
Our Changing World for 25 July 2019
The Department of Conservation and groups such as the Coal Island Trust are taking pests off Fiordland islands and reintroducing rare species. Audio
Predator Free NZ - dream or reality?
A panel of five experts debate what it will take to turn the idea of a predator-free New Zealand by 2050 from a dream into a reality. Audio
Our Changing World for 20 June 2019
A panel discussion on 'Predator Free New Zealand - dream or reality' with five experts in pest biology and large scale eradication porjects. Audio
Rats: how to catch and cull
Today a story about an infestation of rats in the Auckland neighbourhood of Titirangi. The locals reckon the rats are the size of cats. Audio
Science of a 'mega mast' & planning wide-scale predator control
This summer has seen a 'mega-mast' mass seeding event in New Zealand's forests and DOC is now planning its largest-ever predator control operation to save rare birds. Audio
Archey's frogs thriving in the King Country
The King Country population of the highly threatened Archey's frog is thriving, thanks to years of rat control. Audio
Our Changing World for 7 February 2019
Archey's frogs are thriving thanks to rat control, and the first kakapo chicks have hatched and their mothers are mating again. Audio
The two-in-one predator trap
Kevin Bain, the technical manager for NZ Auto traps talks about his trap with an award-winning mechanism which captures and kills both rats and possums. The trap is being taken up by DoC and local… Audio
If you thought cats were good ratcatchers, think again
Cats are good at catching rats, right? Actually, they're pretty hopeless, if a study in New York is anything to go by. Video
Explosion in rodent numbers after long summer
An unusually long, dry summer has caused an explosion in rat and mice numbers, creating extra work for groups working towards a predator-free New Zealand. Pest controllers say they're gearing up for… Audio
DoC responds to potential pest threat on Whenua Hou
It looks like a rat has made it onto a predator-free island off the coast of Stewart Island. Whenua Hou is the home of the Kakapo Recovery Programme. DoC's Tony Preston joins us with details of the… Audio
Predator-Free 2050 announcement
Predator-Free 2050 has developed a four-part research strategy to save New Zealand's biological heritage. Audio
Rat-filled sinkhole prompts greasy dishes warning
A sinkhole filled with fat and rats has prompted Tararua Council to educate its residents on how to get rid of grease. Video, Audio
The Great Manawahe Bunny Hunt
Every year, hunters and locals from Manawahe head out onto farmland and into the hills to shoot rabbits and other pests for the district's bunny hunt – a community event with games, skinning… Audio, Gallery