Mustelids are widely distributed in New Zealand, but because they are small, secretive and fast moving, they are difficult to observe in the wild.
Mustelids have a huge impact on New Zealand s native species.
Stoats kill 40 North Island brown kiwi chicks per day on average which adds up to 15,000 per annum. That accounts for 60 per cent of North Island brown kiwi born. Another 35 per cent of the chicks are also the victims of other predators including ferrets. Of the North Island brown kiwi that hatch, only five per cent survive. Controlling mustelids will make a significant difference to survival chances of North Island brown kiwi whose population is halving every decade.