Kia ora!

Over the past few months, City Sanctuary, the Halo Project, and the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group (OPBG) have been working together as Predator Free Dunedin - bringing together their collective expertise and resources to get the peninsula possum elimination over the line!

OPBG has now shifted its efforts away from possum work to focus on rodents, rabbits, and mustelids, handing the ongoing Possum Free Peninsula operations to Predator Free Dunedin. The efforts of OPBG’s staff, trustees, and volunteers over the past 15 years have meant the restoration of an iconic landscape that will allow native flora and fauna to thrive for generations to come.

Read on for the dogs, tools and tech that make this project possible, ‘Next steps for a Possum Free Otago Peninsula’, and what you can do in your backyard to support increasing native wildlife.

Rhys Millar
Project Lead, Predator Free Dunedin

Proudly supported by…

Next steps for a possum free Otago Peninsula

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of OPBG staff, trustees, volunteers, and the wider community over the years, locals are now enjoying healthier forests, gardens, and more native birds like tūī, korimako/bellbird, kererū, pīwakawaka/fantail, and tītipounamu/rifleman. From tireless field work, to community engagement, and trawling through trail camera photos – their commitment, support, and collaboration have made an enormous impact.

With the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group now redirecting its efforts to multi-species pest control, ongoing possum operations will be led by Predator Free Dunedin. Our team will continue to target the last remaining possums with intensive monitoring to achieve and maintain a possum-free Otago Peninsula!

Seen a possum on the Peninsula?

Now that possums are down to extremely low numbers on the Peninsula, we are using everything in our tool kit to track down and remove those last few! Now more than ever, community support is crucial to eliminating possums on the Peninsula. If you see a possum on the Peninsula, dead or alive, use our Report a Possum form to send a notification of its location directly to us.  

Dogs, AI, heat-detecting drones: chasing the last possums on the Otago Peninsula

We’ve been using all the tools in the kete: AI traps, heat-detecting drones, and the most complex technology of all, Scout’s nose - because finding those last few possums is really tricky.

Back to the future: Re-introducing taoka species to Ōtepoti Dunedin

Can we bring back the wildlife that was once found across Ōtepoti Dunedin? What would it take and what can we learn from other cities like Pо̄neke Wellington?

Watch the second installment in the Predator Free Dunedin Winter Speaker Series!

Featuring: Paul Ward (Capital Kiwi), Tumai Cassidy (Te Runaka ō Ōtakou), Taylor Davies-Colley (Orokonui Ecosanctuary), Phil Seddon (University of Otago) Jo Carpenter (Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research).

Top tips for a native fauna friendly garden

Did you know that private gardens and backyards make up 36% of Dunedin’s total urban space? By understanding the habitat we have in our backyards, we can take steps to encourage event more native species to live among us.

Want to improve biodiversity in your garden? We’ve put together few options to improve garden biodiversity that are suitable for spaces and budgets of all sizes. You can also find some tools to help with urban restoration here.

City Sanctuary reaches 5,000 rat milestone

City Sanctuary has caught 5,000 rats! If lined up from nose to tail, 5,000 rats would stretch the distance from the Octagon to Knox Church.

There are hundreds of people supporting City Sanctuary as backyard trappers and volunteers, or within community trapping groups. Every milestone is a celebration of the collective effort of the projects amazing volunteers.

If you, or someone you know is keen to support City Sanctuary, let them know via the backyard trapper or volunteer sign up form.

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?