Pest Free Banks Peninsula is leading the charge against the hedgehogs, weasels, stoats, ferrets, possums and feral cats that prey on the area's banded dotterel, various ground-nesting birds, skinks and katipo.
Armed with traps and trained sniffer dogs, handler Karin Bos is on the frontline of saving these species from the threat of extinction.
And she has some skilled animals on her side - a dog called Terry, trained to sniff out feral cats, and another named Nightshade, who specialises in finding hedgehogs.
"And then suddenly I can see she's onto the scent.
"She'll go more rigid, more concentrated, and go straight to the hedgehog.
"Then she'll make a little bit of sound and start digging at the ground where the hedgehog is.
"And that's the indication for me to help her out,” said Bos.
Pest Free Banks Peninsula is leading the eradication programme in association with DOC, local Runanga, Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury.
Said Sarah Wilson, Pest Free Banks Peninsula project leader: “So this started with landowners, it started with the community and Runanga saying we want to make a difference.
"We want our native biodiversity back and we want to get rid of these things that are impacting that."
Pest Free Banks Peninsula is funded through the Government's Predator Free 2050 initiative, which aims to eradicate New Zealand's three most damaging predators - possums, stoats and rats.
By the end of 2025, Pest Free Banks Peninsula hopes to have fully eradicated pests on Kaitorete.
- By John Spurdle
Public Interest Journalism Fund
