The Department of Conservation (DoC) is crediting predator control work for thriving numbers of two bat species and native birds in Fiordland National Park.
Summer monitoring has found numbers of the rare southern short-tailed bat are on the rise in its last remaining stronghold.
DoC says it shows a mix of trapping, ground-based pesticides and periodic aerial 1080 drops are working.
Summer monitoring has found numbers of the rare southern short-tailed bat are on the rise in its last remaining stronghold.
DoC says it shows a mix of trapping, ground-based pesticides and periodic aerial 1080 drops are working.
The New Zealand Threat Classification System report, released on Friday, looks at the conservation status of New Zealand bats and is an update from the last review in 2012.
The most significant change is that the southern short-tailed bat has moved from 'threatened' to 'recovering' - due to the Department of Conservation's control of rats, possums and stoats in its last mainland habitat.
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says that the number of short-tailed bats in Fiordland National Park have steadily grown from about 300 to more than 3000 since predator control began more than a decade ago.
The population of long-tailed bats in the Eglinton valley, in Fiordland, is also growing at a similar rate.
But the picture is not as good for bats in other areas, particularly the North Island, with the status of long-tailed bats worsening since 2012 and being labelled as 'nationally critical'.
The new threat assessment confirms that where bat forest habitat is safe and predators are suppressed, our only native land mammals can recover.
"Yet in many areas populations of both bat species continue to decline due to the threat of rats, stoats, possums and cats, and clearance of lowland forest and large old trees where bats roost," Ms Sage said.
The effects of wasps and potential effect of kauri dieback on roost trees is also of concern.
The threat status of the central and northern short-tailed bat sub-species (found in the central and northern North Island) remains the same as in 2012 - both are declining.
NZN / Newshub.
The most significant change is that the southern short-tailed bat has moved from 'threatened' to 'recovering' - due to the Department of Conservation's control of rats, possums and stoats in its last mainland habitat.
Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage says that the number of short-tailed bats in Fiordland National Park have steadily grown from about 300 to more than 3000 since predator control began more than a decade ago.
The population of long-tailed bats in the Eglinton valley, in Fiordland, is also growing at a similar rate.
But the picture is not as good for bats in other areas, particularly the North Island, with the status of long-tailed bats worsening since 2012 and being labelled as 'nationally critical'.
The new threat assessment confirms that where bat forest habitat is safe and predators are suppressed, our only native land mammals can recover.
"Yet in many areas populations of both bat species continue to decline due to the threat of rats, stoats, possums and cats, and clearance of lowland forest and large old trees where bats roost," Ms Sage said.
The effects of wasps and potential effect of kauri dieback on roost trees is also of concern.
The threat status of the central and northern short-tailed bat sub-species (found in the central and northern North Island) remains the same as in 2012 - both are declining.
NZN / Newshub.
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