Department of Conservation (Doc) rangers are about to go duck-hunting - with saving young whio (blue ducks) in mind.
"We are planning to catch a number of whio juveniles from the Milford Track area before they naturally disperse," Doc Te Anau biodiversity ranger Max Smart said.
"They will be transferred into areas protected by stoat-trapping to improve their chances of survival."
Rangers will survey about 160km of rivers looking for whio parents so they can assess when their young are ready to fledge and subsequently take flight from their stoat-safe enclaves.
It is the first time such a project has been attempted on this scale anywhere in New Zealand.
