Lake Manapouri Island becomes a stronghold for endangered species

Thursday, 9 August 2018

One of seven saddleback birds released on Rona Island on Lake Manapouri by the Pomona Island Charitable Trust.

An island on Lake Manapouri is fast becoming a stronghold for endangered wildlife as a second species of vulnerable bird has been shifted there for safe keeping.

Seven Saddleback (Tieke) birds were released on Rona Island on Wednesday as part of a translocation project aiming to shift 60 birds to the island.

Pomona Island Charitable Trust secretary and volunteer project leader Viv Shaw said DOC had approved the translocation cause the island was pest-free, which was crucial to the survival of the birds.

Saddlebacks were quite vulnerable to rats and stoats and the trust to ensure the island was completely safe environment before the birds could be released, Shaw said

'This is a really significant milestone. We've been wanting to do this for six years.'

The trust looked to do a transfer of birds to the island in 2012, but a check of trap network on the island found six stoats on the island, Shaw said.

'It was a long wait, but well worth it.'

The Leslie Hutchins Conservation Foundation gave $12,000 to the trust to fund the transfer.

DOC had taken the birds from Anchor Island and Breaksea Island in Fiordland.

Saddlebacks were not great at flying so there was little chance the birds would migrate to the mainland, Shaw said.

For 12 years the volunteer-run trust has worked to restore Pomona and Rona islands to their natural state before the introduction of pests.

Rona Island, which was 60 hectares in size, was the more successful of the two because of its distance from the shore which made it harder for pests to get there.

The island was also used as a kiwi creche to raise Haast Kiwi until they were old enough to fend for themselves, at which point they were returned to the Haast Kiwi Sanctuary, she said.

Currently, there were 13 kiwi on the Island who would spend three to 12 months there, Shaw said.

The trust is also looking at projects to bring robins and mohua to the island as well.

Both islands are open to the public to come and go as they like.

The trust just asks that visitors ensure they do not bring and pests or seeds with them.