Story: Introduced animal pests

Loading possum bait

Loading possum bait

A helicopter picks up a bucket of poisoned carrots, which it will drop over forest on the Coromandel Peninsula. This is the most effective way of reducing possum numbers over large areas. Laced with the poison 1080, the carrot baits (inset) are passed through screens to remove small pieces, reducing the risk of accidental eating by birds. Forest regrowth is often spectacular following 1080 operations.

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Department of Conservation
Reference: 10049836; 10048725 (inset)

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How to cite this page:

Bob Brockie, 'Introduced animal pests - Possums', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/10119/loading-possum-bait (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Bob Brockie, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Jul 2015