Kepler Challenge stoat trapping

Kepler Challenge mountain runners receive more than just a medal at the end of their run. They also have the satisfaction of knowing that they are contributing to the protection of native species from the threat of stoats and rats in Fiordland National Park.

The Kepler Challenge Mountain Run event is held annually and follows the 60km Kepler Track. Blue duck/whio, kiwi and many other native birds inhabit the area and their survival is greatly increased where stoat and rat numbers are reduced.  

Placing stoat trap boxes on the
Kepler Track

In 2006 the Kepler Challenge Organising Committee, in partnership with the Department of Conservation, established a stoat trapping programme around the entire length of the Kepler Track using a proportion of each runner’s entry fee.

Some runners manage to complete the track in under 5 hours, but if you plan to stay overnight on the track, it is one of the few places on the mainland where you can still hope to hear kiwi.

Volunteers check over 500 traps every month, clearing them of any catches and re-baiting them with a fresh hen’s egg and salted meat.

Since the beginning of the project, rat and stoat numbers have dropped considerably.