Kiwi are unique nocturnal birds facing near extinction from introduced predators. Predator control programs protect kiwi welfare and enable population recovery.
Kiwi welfare is threatened primarily by introduced predators that have no natural relationship with these evolutionarily isolated birds. Stoats and ferrets kill kiwi chicks by biting through their skulls — a traumatic, rapid death that is nonetheless preventable. Adult kiwi are also vulnerable. Predator control through trapping and aerial 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) application reduces predator pressure and enables chick survival. The welfare costs of 1080 use — affecting non-target species including native birds when applied improperly — must be weighed against the benefits of predator control for kiwi and other native species.