More than 150 remote traps set to catch predators across a South Island national park have been “systematically tampered” with and disarmed, the Department of Conservation said.
High-trapping lines between Dart Valley and the west Matukituki Valley were checked by volunteers and staff who found all 45 traps blocked off by “strategically placed” rocks.
Staff also found all the traps from Shelter Rock Hut to Dart Hut and down the Rees Valley had been triggered or also had rocks placed in front of their doors.
DOC Whakatipu operations manager David Butt said it was “very concerning” that someone had made the effort to disarm more than 150 remote traps in total across two locations.
“This is a critical time to have protection for native species through trapping. It means we will see an increase in predators.”
The person, or potentially several people, would have had to cover “challenging terrain and clambered through bush to find these traps and block them off so predators cannot enter”, he said.
“The people who have done this to the traps will be responsible for an increase in the death of many individuals from our taonga species.”
DOC’s Takahē Recovery Group is working to establish a new population of the birds in the area, and there is concern those birds could be at risk if traps in the area are found to be compromised as well.
