Kia ora!

It’s been a big few months for Predator Free Dunedin, with a major milestone now ticked off in the Halo “zero-density” zone. 

After years of planning, testing, troubleshooting and kōrero, Halo’s FTP smart‑trap network has now been switched on. This is a significant step towards smarter, safer predator control in a part of the landscape where kākā and other taoka species are regular visitors, and it reflects the steady mahi by the Halo and PFD team. After working closely with Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, Orokonui Ecosanctuaryand the Department of Conservation for over two years, PFD and The Halo Project have now been given the green light to turn the network on, with those partners confident that careful steps have been taken to minimise risks to kākā and other taoka bird species while still doing the job on possums and rats. 

This edition also highlights some of the many threads that make up Predator Free Dunedin – from community support and council backing, to international media interest in our mahi and funding that keeps traps in the field. All of these pieces show how our collective effort across Ōtepoti is helping protect the Wildlife Capital of New Zealand. 

As we head towards the end of the year, thank you for your ongoing support and mahi. Whether you’re checking a trap line, supporting from the sidelines or working with us on the ground, we hope you get a chance to rest and enjoy the nature we are all working to protect over the holiday break. 

Rhys Millar
Project Lead, Predator Free Dunedin

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The green light moment: switching on Halo’s FTP smart-trap network 

The Halo Project’s Kāpuka-taumāhaka/Mt Cargill and West Harbour “zero-density” zone has just reached a major milestone, with formal approval to switch on the network of FTP “smart traps” designed to minimise risk to kākā. After the team’s months of careful testing and close monitoring of more than 1,700 filmed kākā–trap interactions, partners including Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, Orokonui Ecosanctuary and DOC are now confident the system adds a valuable extra layer of protection for these taoka while still targeting possums and rats effectively. 

As early adopters of this AI-enabled technology, the Halo team has weathered plenty of challenges in steep, bush-clad country – from solar placement to fine‑tuning the AI – and is now generating learnings that will help other Predator Free projects considering similar tools. Read the full story to see how collaboration, caution and innovation have come together in this trial. 

Sector 5: The Final Frontier for a Possum-Free Peninsula 

Have you ever looked out over the hills of Waverley and wondered what’s hiding in the gullies? That area is "Sector 5" − the critical buffer zone standing between Ōtepoti/Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula. After removing over 40,000 possums, this is the line in the sand that stops them from reinvading. 

But hunting down the last few survivors is tougher than you might think. From "lonely possum" science to a network of high-tech trail cameras, find out how our team and the community are holding the line to protect the Peninsula’s future. 

Feral cats to be added to Predator Free 2050

Feral cats will be formally added to the Predator Free 2050 target list in 2026, and that decision opens a new chapter in how Aotearoa manages cats while still celebrating them as much loved companions in our homes. PFD strongly supports this national step and will be taking time early next year to work through what it means for our local projects and partnerships. 

The government’s recent decision means feral cats now sit alongside rats, possums and mustelids as nationally targeted predators, unlocking better coordination, funding and research for humane control tools. Feral cats are wild-living animals that survive without human support, and they are linked to heavy losses of native birds, bats, lizards and insects across Aotearoa. 

PFD has previously called the omission of feral cats a “gaping hole” in the PF2050 strategy and welcomed national leadership to address this predator across landscapes, not just in isolated projects. With the new policy confirmed, the focus now shifts to designing practical, ethical approaches that work for communities as well as for wildlife. 

Locally, the inclusion of feral cats gives established landscape projects like PFD a clearer mandate to engage in feral cat management alongside work on possums, rats and mustelids. Over the coming year, PFD will explore how feral cat control can be woven into existing work programmes, funding bids, research partnerships, and community engagement without compromising pet safety. 

Turning the tide: measurable gains for Karitāne & Kirimoko/Kilmog 

It’s been a massive couple of years for the Karitāne–Kirimoko/Kilmog Possum Programme. Backed by Otago Regional Council funding and the hard mahi of our delivery partner The Halo Project, we are seeing a dramatic drop in possum numbers across the project area. 

The monitoring results tell the story best. When the work started in 2023, the Residual Trap Catch Index − which involves setting out traps for a certain period (trap-nights) and then calculating the percentage of those trap-nights in which a possum was captured  − was sitting dangerously high: 23.8% in Kirimoko/Kilmog and a staggering 54.5% in Karitāne. Fast forward to June 2025, and those figures have been driven down to 5.6% and 6.2% respectively.  

That's an overall reduction of around 84%, with thousands of possums removed from the landscape − including 1,500 from a single farm. This turnaround isn't just about numbers; it means significantly less browsing pressure on our native bush and reduced bovine tuberculosis (TB) risk for local farms. 

PFD goes international! 

PFD featured twice in NPR in September. NPR, or National Public Radio, is a U.S.-based non-profit media organisation that produces and distributes news, cultural, and music programming to a network of hundreds of independent member stations across the United States. The two stories focused on technological advancements in predator control in Aotearoa/New Zealand, and the importance of community engagement in predator control. 

Interest from outlets like NPR reflects how people around the world are looking to Ōtepoti/Dunedin and Aotearoa/New Zealand to understand what large-scale, community-led predator control can achieve, and what lessons they can apply in their own backyards. 

Read the full articles: 

To save its unique and rare birds, New Zealand is turning to AI and genetic research 

To save its rare birds, New Zealand is relying on a nation of backyard trappers 

Support from the council table for Predator Free Dunedin 

Predator Free Dunedin is a key part of Ōtepoti/Dunedin’s identity as the Wildlife Capital of New Zealand, helping to protect and celebrate the unique biodiversity that draws people to this place. Many of Ōtepoti/Dunedin’s councillors have signalled clear support for PFD and the kaupapa of predator control across the city, reinforcing that a predator free future is seen as a shared community priority. 

Councillor backing for Predator Free Dunedin and for the city’s Wildlife Capital of New Zealand brand strengthens our ability to plan ambitious predator control and gives confidence to the communities and partners who are doing the mahi on the ground. 

Want to see what individual councillors have said? Read the full story, including their responses, on our website. 

PFD gets a boost from Z Valley customers 

PFD was chosen as a recipient this year of Good in the Hood at Z Valley on Kaikorai Valley Road.
 
Every Z service station across the motu had $5,000 to give away, split between four non-profit organisations they had selected, with customers casting their votes for their favourite. 

Thanks to the amazing support of the community, PFD received $1,047 – an amazing boost for our mahi here in Ōtepoti/Dunedin.  This money is being made available to the City Sanctuary project to contribute to its operational costs. 

Kā mihi nui to Z Energy for running this fantastic campaign across the motu, and to the Z Valley team for choosing to support our work. 

When Art Meets Conservation  

How does a backyard trapper turn a gallery show into a win for our wildlife? We caught up with local artist Sam Foley to chat about his recent exhibition, The Green Belt Invitational, which raised $5,000 for our City Sanctuary project. 

From seeing tūī return to Glenleith to envisioning kākā in our backyards, read how Sam is using his art to support the predator-free vision. 

Our impact

Together, our community is working to get rid of possums, rats and stoats from Dunedin’s urban and rural landscapes by 2050.

To date, our members and delivery partners have more than 15,000 devices on the ground and have caught over 100,000 possums, rats and mustelids!

Donate to help nature and communities thrive.

At Predator Free Dunedin, we are working tirelessly to restore our local ecosystems and ensure a thriving future for our native birds and wildlife—but we can’t do it without your support.

We’ve made incredible progress so far, removing tens of thousands of predators like possums, rats, and stoats – creating safe spaces for our wildlife to flourish. But there is still much to do. Your donation today can help support our efforts, ensuring a predator-free future for Dunedin.

Will you help us protect Dunedin’s precious wildlife?