Animal pests (New Zealand)

Where can I find information about animal pests in New Zealand?

(Years 7-10)

Colour photo of a Eurasion Stoat in a trap. — Image: Eurasian Stoat (Mustela erminea) by strewick on iNaturalist. CC BY-NC 4.0. Image cropped.

Entry last updated: 11/05/26

Introduction

An animal is considered a pest if it causes damage to the environment, people or property. Pests are often introduced species (animals which have been brought to one country from another). They can also be native animals. Animal pests such as stoats, possums, deer, cats and mice are examples of animals which were introduced to New Zealand. They helped cause the decline in number or extinction of some native birds and animals.

Animal pests of New Zealand

Here is a list of some pests that have been introduced to New Zealand.

Rats and mice: First introduced by the Polynesians and the first explorers. They compete with native animals for food and prey on insects, lizards, eggs and nestlings.

Possums: Brought in from Australia to establish a fur industry in New Zealand. They damage forests, eat birds's eggs and nestlings.

Rabbits: Introduced into New Zealand for the fur industry and for meat. Now an agricultural and ecological pest.

Mustelids: Weasels, stoats and ferrets are examples of mustelids brought into New Zealand for their fur and to control rabbits. They prey on birds, eggs and nestlings.

Cats: Released into New Zealand to control the number of rabbits. They prey on native birds, insects and lizards.

Deer: Released into New Zealand to provide sportsmen with game and for meat. They damage forest plants, trees and seedlings.

Pigs: Introduced as a food source. Wild pigs compete with native animals for food, eat small insects and damage the forest ecosystem.

General websites

These websites have detailed information about animal pests in New Zealand.

Department of Conservation (DOC)

The Department of Conservation is the government website about preserving the natural and historical sites of New Zealand. You can see it’s a government site by looking at the About us link at the bottom of the page. The site has information about different types of animal pests.

Go to the tab called Nature from the top of the page and select Pests & threats.
Open the link Animal pests A - Z to find the names of major pests.
Each animal has information about its impact on the environment and methods to control it.
From the same page, go to the links Our pest control methods or Predator Free 2050. Read about DOC's procedures for managing animal pests.

Tips: A website’s address (URL) can give you a hint about how reliable it is. Look for addresses that include .govt or .edu in the URL. These are quality sites from government or educational organisations.

Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Te Ara is an excellent starting point for all questions about Aotearoa New Zealand. If we look down to the bottom of the page, we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

Use the search box to enter the keywords 'animal pests'.
Choose the story Introduced animal pests to read about the animals introduced into New Zealand and their impact on the bush.
Read Control of introduced animals about measures taken to reduce their numbers to protect the environment.
There is also a story about Possums for a more in-depth look at this pest.

Tips: We like sites like this because they’re reliable. You can tell because of their web address – they have either .govt or .ac, meaning they are from government or educational organisations. They’re also New Zealand sites, so relevant for us.

New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

The website shares easy‑to‑understand information about native and other plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, including how they are protected and the threats they face.

Go to Threats from the top of the page, then select Pest animals.
Select Animal pest control to find a summary of ways to control pests.
Select Mammals to find information about mustelids, rodents, and possums, etc and their impacts on native fauna and birds.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website if you can find one. In this case information about the organisation is in the FAQ (frequently asked questions) section, under the Help tab.

Manaaki Whenua | Landcare Research

This is a group within the Bioeconomy Science Institute. They do science and research on environmental issues.

Go to Discover our research and then Managing invasive species.
Choose Animal pest management or Invasive invertebrates and explore the Related science.

New Zealand Geographic Online

New Zealand Geographic Online is part of EPIC, a collection of reliable databases covering lots of different topics. It’s put together especially for New Zealand school students and helps to answer questions like this.

Enter search words like 'animal pests' or names of animal pests like 'possums' in the search box.
This will bring up articles such as Possum. An ecological nightmare and The menace of stoats.

Tips: To use the EPIC resources, you need a password from your school librarian. Or chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians to help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Regional councils

Regional council websites have lots of useful information about pests and weeds in Aotearoa New Zealand. Visit your local council’s website to find out which pests live in your area, what the council is doing to control them, and how you can help.

Ko Tātou | Local Goverment New Zealand has a list of all the council websites in New Zealand.

Northland Regional Council

This website belongs to the Northland Regional Council of New Zealand. It has information about different animal pests which could be found in Northland and other parts of New Zealand.

Go down the page to select the Pest control hub button.
Then the Animal button.
Select an animal, for example rat, to find what it looks like, why it is a problem, and control measures.
Some of the pests listed are not currently found in New Zealand. They would be a threat if introduced.

Waikato Regional Council

This site belongs to the Waikato Regional Council of New Zealand. It has useful information about the environment of this region.

Select the Taiao | Environment tab.
Look under Biodiversity to select Biosecurity.
Select the Search for a plant or animal pest section.
Use the drop-down menu from the All categories filter box to select Animals.
This lists animal pests such as wasps, red-eared slider turtles and magpies.

Tips: Many web pages have links to further information or to other recommended sites. Following these links is a great way to find out more.

Books

Check out your local public library or school library for books on animal pests in Aotearoa New Zealand. Here are a few titles to help you begin your search: