Native fauna could be reintroduced to cities

Reintroducing bats, tuatara and native birds into New Zealand’s cities is not beyond the realms of imagination, two University of Otago zoologists say - if cat owners become more aware of the benefits keeping their pet indoors.

Associate Prof  Yolanda van Heezik and Prof  Philip Seddon recently published a study in academic journal Pacific Conservation Biology, putting forward a case for native species to be reintroduced to urban areas, rather than waiting for animals to recolonise the landscape.

The duo carried out a survey asking 18 conservation professionals in New Zealand to identify potential reintroduction candidates.

They received 80 suggestions, the majority of which were forest birds - such as the kaka, weka and karearea (New Zealand falcon) - and invertebrates, weta and large snails.

Cats and dogs were highlighted as the greatest hurdle to restoration of native species.

"While kiwi could probably thrive in town belts and bush fragments around the edges of cities, dogs would be a major problem,"  Prof van Heezik said.

Kiwis and  most of the other restoration  candidates were also potentially prey to cats, which regularly hunted  invertebrates and lizards as well as birds.

Thirty-five percent of New Zealand homes had at least one cat, and  Prof van Heezik said campaigns focusing on the benefits to the cat of being kept inside could have a positive effect.

Research overseas found cats that lived inside tended to live longer, were less likely to catch diseases and did not get into fights. The aim of the research was to "get people to try and think about what they can aspire to".

Other measures such as habitat quality were "important limiting factors".

She saw the NZ Predator-free 2050 programme as  important  in creating  opportunities for reintroducing wildlife.