Kaitiakitanga

Kaitiakitanga 

Questions about introduced species

1.  What does introduced species mean?  
2.  Why where they brought to New Zealand?
3.  Why have their numbers exploded?
4.  What effect do they have on our native plants and animals?
5.  How is the DOC trying to get rid of them?
6.  How are stoats and weasels effecting our native things?
7.  What control methods are being used?
8.  Are those methods any success?

Anwers

1.  An introduced species is a plant or animal that is not native to the place that it is in. Some introduced species are a danger to some of the native plants or animals already living there. 
2.  Some of the introduced species were brought to New Zealand by the new-comers because they needed wildlife to help with growing food and crops. Originally they had no land mammals apart from bats. European settlers introduced game bird to populate empty forests that they saw. 
3. The numbers have grown because the animals have found mates and started reproducing resulting in more animals. Also they do not have any predators and plenty of food they are able to live happily.  
4.  Some of the introduced species do have a positive impact on our native species but most of them have a negative impact on our native species. For example stoats have eaten many native birds. 
5.  The DOC is hoping to get rid of all invasive species by 2050. They are going to develop new traps that are capable of killing rats, stoats, and possums. So far the government has committed a few tens of millions of dollars towards making the traps. 
6. Stoats are mainly eating the native birds in New Zealand they where brought to New Zealand to eat the introduced rabbits and hares. Weasels also are a major threat to the native birds, as they are eating birds eggs, which could result in extinction. 
7.