The Animal Health Board undertakes possum and ferret control to protect New Zealand from the threat of bovine Tb. However, this also has an important secondary benefit for our forests and native species.
A huge range of species benefit from possum and ferret control as a result of Animal Health Board operations – complementing the protection and restoration programmes undertaken by the Department of Conservation (DOC).
DOC monitoring of its own possum control operations shows that species as diverse as giant native land snails through to rata and mistletoe all benefit from the absence of possums.
Possums have also been shown to be predators of the nests of native birds and to compete with other native species for food.
The removal of ferrets also benefits a range of species, such as the black-fronted terns that breed on braided riverbeds, and the geckos and skinks found in dryland regions.

One of the tools used for vector control is sodium monofluoroacetate, or 1080.
To find out more about 1080, click here.
To find out more about the environmental outcomes of 1080 use, click here.