Ōtākaro Urban Trapping Project

Who we are:

The Ōtākaro Urban Trapping Group is a grassroots initiative driven by volunteers and committed to preserving the Red Zone and nearby neighbourhoods by eradicating rats and mice.

Our primary objective is to create a safe haven for native wildlife, insects, and flora by eliminating pests such as rats, possums, stoats, and weasels. We strive to foster stronger ties between the residential Red Zone and surrounding communities through our trapping initiatives and tool library. Additionally, our efforts aim to enhance the environmental and ecological health of the Red Zone's land in both the short and long term by reducing predator populations, thereby allowing native flora and fauna to flourish.

We aim to reduce and remove rats and mice using Victor traps and Doc 200, along traplines in native and riverside areas and people's backyards. Monitor with chew cards to identify predators further along the corridor.

The planned outcomes for our project are:

-To increase populations of native birds (e.g. Tui) and other wildlife in the surrounding of the red zone/green spine of Christchurch

-Improve breeding success for the native birds by controlling the rat population 

-Building support from local landowners, community and schools

-Creating a corridor of safe habitat for native birds

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We are focusing on rats as these are the most common in urban environments and said to have the greatest impact on native biodiversity and it also ensures we are aligning with the Predator Free 2050 initiative.