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Story: Conservation – a history

Rats

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Rats

A plague of rats on Big South Cape Island in 1964 was responsible for the extinction of several rare bird species. These rats were trapped and killed in a single night.

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Department of Conservation

Reference: 10031594

by J. D. O'Brien

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How to cite this page

Simon Nathan, Conservation – a history – Saving native birds, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/13930/rats (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Simon Nathan, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 August 2015.