Slip A11 Wildlife Relocation Underway
We are working closely with New Zealand Environmental Management and hapū to survey any native or endangered species which may be at risk of impact by our work and relocate them away from our construction sites.
Our specialist team of ecologists, kaitiaki, kiwi dogs and handlers, and arborists have been busy carefully clearing slip site A11 of vegetation and safely relocating a variety of wildlife away from construction. Specially trained dogs search the area each morning before work starts to check for kiwi that may have entered the area overnight. So far, no kiwi have been found, but checks continue.
During this search, the teams have already discovered and safely relocated multiple different at-risk and threatened species, including native kauri snails (pupurangi), and several different species of wētā.
There is also a known presence of long-tailed bats (pekapeka) in the Maungataniwha Range. Automatic bat monitors have been set up to measure their high frequency signals through special bat software. During the colder months, the bats are less active while they conserve energy. This puts them at greater risk from any work around their habitat, so any potential roosting areas need to be removed before winter. Any trees that are identified as a potential habitat are carefully inspected before and after felling to ensure that these nationally critical species are protected.
As well as the work being done to relocate species from within the site, we have also recently set up a series of stoat and rat traps along the edge the highway as part of the ongoing pest control on site.
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