​Taranaki dairy farmer Fiona Henchman can now declare victory in a personal war of the roses she has waged against possums for a quarter of a century.

With husband John she has fought a backyard battle against thousands of possums hopping over the boundary fence from Egmont National Park to munch on fruit trees, grass pasture and treasured climbing roses.
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Pasture near the National Park boundary has also taken a hammering, with the pests’ eating habits leaving the ground resembling a mown strip.

Three takahē have died after aerial 1080 predator control in Kahurangi National Park at the top of the South Island, one likely due to 1080 poisoning.
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The Department of Conservation (DOC) said the cause of death of the other two birds was still being investigated but 1080 poisoning was a possibility.

Protecting forest canopy and native bird habitat is the focus of an upcoming Department of conservation predator control operation at Pirongia forest park.
The park contains nationally significant examples of ecosystems and threatened taonga species, including grey warblers, fantails, tomtits, pipits, harriers, kingfishers, New Zealand falcons, kererū, tūī, rifleman, bellbirds and whiteheads.