City Sanctuary wins an AT220 – and pays it forward!
We’re really chuffed to share that City Sanctuary won a brand new AT220 trap from NZ Autotraps Ltd during Conservation Week 2025. The competition drew over 500 entries from all over New Zealand, and we were stoked to take out the ‘Possum’ category. The judges were looking at how traps submitted were set up and making a real difference, so it meant a lot for our efforts to be recognised in such a strong field.
Straight away, we knew the best thing to do was pay it forward. The AT220 is a fantastic automatic trap (worth over $500!), and we decided to gift it to Project Kererū – and the driving force behind the project, Nik Hurring.
Project Kererū operates a rehabilitation centre dedicated to helping injured and orphaned kererū. “The rehab work has been a big part of my life for a long time – almost 30 years – and I do this, now rehabbing for the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital (and the trapping) on my own” says Nik.
Nik says predator control has impacted the habitat Project Kererū have been creating in a big way. Supported by Dunedin Forest and Bird volunteers, Nik has been planting around the aviaries to create a “Kererū Café” for birds passing by and to protect the rehab birds from the elements – but the seedlings were getting eaten by rabbits and possums. Then, after borrowing a trail camera, Nik discovered that ferrets and stoats were trying to get into the aviaries – giving her kererū patients ‘night frights’ and causing the potential for hurting themselves. With help from the Otago Regional Council’s Ecofund Nik took action and set up a network of traps around the aviaries.
(L-R) A kererū rehabilitates in one of Project Kererū’s aviaries; caught on one of Nik’s trailcams, this kahū is one of the native birds that have returned since Nik began intensive trapping; many kererū treated by Project Kererū have suffered impact injuries, such as window strike.
Project Kererū now boasts an impressive network of 34 traps - including the new AT220 – removing ferrets, stoats, weasels, rats and possums.
With the bulk of her traps being single-catch, the addition of the AT220 is a game changer. Nik can check the trap from an app on her phone that notifies of triggers and she has a trail cam monitoring it too.
There’s a notable difference in the Project Kererū surrounds since Nik began her work, and the donation of the AT220 will allow this to continue.
“Since I have had the trapline the wildlife has increased 10-fold. Tui, Bellbirds, Kingfishers, Fantails, Grey Warblers, Dunnocks all live there. Kererū visit, as do Shining Cuckoo and Silver Eyes. I’ve seen Little Owls. Kahu make regular fly pasts and I often leave what I trap out for them to dine on. Last year we had Tui, Bellbirds and Fantails nesting and I’ve heard frogs. There are also the introduced species of finches and skylarks around and we cannot forget the pukeko!”
Recognition of her mahi from fellow trappers has meant a lot to Nik. “Having the support of City Sanctuary and the gift of the AT220 is something I do not have words for… it’s so big.”
(L-R): Nik Hurring (L) and Kate Tanner (R) with the NZ Autotraps AT220; Kate installs the AT220 to optimise it for possum and rat removal; the AT220 is designed to automatically drip mayonnaise lure down the ‘runway’, making it irresistible to predators. 📷: R Olsen
Special thanks go to NZ Autotraps Ltd for running the competition, and to everyone who entered. For us, sharing this win with Project Kererū means we're helping protect the wider landscape for all of Dunedin’s native wildlife. We’re so proud to be part of a community working together for Aotearoa/New Zealand’s taoka and look forward to seeing the impact this trap will have as part of Project Kererū’s incredible work.
You can find Project Kererū on Facebook, or check out their website here.