3 News has obtained footage showing a female Whio sitting in her nest and keeping her eggs warm. Suddenly she becomes aware of a threat. A stoat enters and while she puts up a fight to protect her young, the soft beak of the Whio has no defence.
“It’s pretty dramatic and the smoking gun in the video footage shows that stoats are the number one predator in this environment,” states Andrew Glaser from the Department of Conservation.
The Whio are being helped by Department of Conservation workers like Mr Glaser - better known as Captain Whio – who along with his sidekicks are helping to protect the vulnerable native birds from stoats.
They are in charge of pest control in parts of the Uruwera's. The attack on the poor Whio in the video happened outside their patch.
Inside their controlled area there are now 30 pairs of Whio living and thriving along a stretch of river.
Ten years ago, when the programme started, there were only six pairs of the birds living in this location.
Their work is bringing results in the form of brand new ducklings.
However, stoat numbers are expected to increase five-fold this year because of an explosion in beech forest flowers for them to feed on.
The Department of Conservation is concerned it is not just the flowers they will be feeding on.
Nevertheless, more trapping to try to control the rise in stoats could help protect this special native species.
Back in the nest the footage continues. The scrap keeps going as the stoat works to overcome the Whio. Eventually, the tussle ends. The female Whio comes back to find her nest empty.
Despite this outcome the Department of Conservation are having more and more success evening up the fight.
3 News