That is where the Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust comes in. A predator-free river delta would serve as a buffer zone for the control work already happening in the mountain valleys above. Although the birds did not have the public profile of their forest cousins, their numbers were critically low. Dr Hughes said an initial feasibility study - with input from a Doc specialist in braided river birds - found a large-scale predator control programme was doable in the area. Over time the trust expects to fund more of Doc’s control work in the Routeburn and upper Hollyford as commercial sponsorships expire.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 04, 2017 17:14 UTC