Rat Free Takutea, on It’s way

Stage one of the Takutea Rat Eradication Project has successfully concluded, with the feild team arriving back in Atiu and Rarotonga aboard the Marumaru Atua last Saturday morning.

This project is a collaborative effort between the Takutea Trust, Atiu Island Government, Cook Islands Voyaging Society, Island Conservation, National Environment Service, and Te Ipukarea Society, with the aim of eradicating the Kiore (Pacific rat) from Takutea. The island is a crucial sanctuary for many seabird species, including red-tailed tropicbirds, red-footed boobies, brown boobies, masked boobies, and frigatebirds. It also provides a temporary home for migratory birds such as the bristle-thighed curlew and the wandering tattler.

The removal of rats is expected to bring significant benefits to the island’s unique fauna, ensuring biodiversity security for this small, uninhabited island northwest of Atiu. This is the third and largest eradication project Te Ipukarea Society has undertaken, following operations on Palmerston and Suwarrow in 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Stage one of the Takutea project took 14 days, split into two key phases. First, the team focused on cutting 45 kms of tracks to establish 2,500 baiting stations across the island. Thanks to the crew’s strong work ethic, the tracks were cut within just eight days, allowing the team a well-earned rest on Sunday.

On Monday, the team began distributing bait across the 2500 baiting stations allowing for full coverage of the island. The bait is a Brodifacoum based rodenticide, targeting specifically mammals such as rats, making it harmless to insects, skinks and crabs found on the island. The crabs however are not to be eaten by people for at least six months after the baiting, until the bait is completely expelled from the crabs. We have done similar projects on Suwarrow and Palmerston, with no harm to other species.

To move the bait across the 1.4 km coastline of Takutea, the team got inventive—carrying buckets by hand, over shoulders, or slung between two people on a branch. Around 100 bait buckets were distributed accordingly within 3 hours, a lot faster than had previously thought.

A workshop was held after the bait distribution to demonstrate the most effective ways to throw the bait. At each of the 2,500 baiting stations, 800 grams of bait was scattered to cover a 10m² area, ensuring that every rat would encounter the bait.

The baiting process began on Tuesday at the western end of the island. Working in pairs, the teams were able to get through 1125 baiting stations on the first day, making excellent progress. On Wednesday, baiting started in the middle of the island where track lines were at their longest, around 800 baiting stations were completed. By Thursday, less then 600 baiting stations were needed to be completed, so the teams done by lunchtime.

With the afternoon free, the crew conducted several ecological surveys. Brennan Panzarella, the lead ecologist from Muri Environmental Care, took the opportunity to survey the vegetation across Takutea, identifying species such as Pukatea, Au, Ngangie and Noni. A bird survey was also carried out by Te Ipukarea Society, observing nesting seabird populations along the island’s perimeter. Nesting masked boobies, Brown Boobies, Frigatebirds, and Red-tailed tropicbirds were recorded around the coast, and the bristle-thighed curlew was also spotted singing its maori name whilst flying “Teue, teue”. Though we also thought they may be calling “stay away, stay away”. This migratory bird feeds throughout Oceania before heading to Alaska for nesting.

On Friday morning, the team cleaned up the camp just as the Marumaru Atua arrived, having sailed through the night from Rarotonga. The crew loaded their gear onto the Vaka and set sail for Atiu, dropping off the Atiu based field team made up of government workers from the National Environment Service, Infrastructure, Agriculture, the Power station plus local fishermen, planters and Teono Aberahama representing Apii Enuamanu. The Raro based crew and field team then had favorable winds plus strategic navigation allowing for a speedy journey home to Rarotonga within 18 hours.

The team is eager to return to Takutea later this month for the second round of baiting, which aims to fully eradicate the rats. This crucial step will provide a safer environment for the island's rare and precious wildlife to thrive.

Meitaki ranuinui to the following field team for taking on the first part of the project, also being the most labour-intense. Enua Wichman, Titiama John, Junior Tipoki, Jireh Paratainga, Teina Matakino, Tangata Tipoki, Tamati Taverio, Teono Aberahama, Joshua Jim, Alanna Smith, Ieremia Samuela, Kelvin Passfield, Antony Vavia, Ana Tiraa, Metua Mitchell, Jason Tuara, Brennan Panzarella, Ryan Donovan, Kelvin Floyd.

A shout out to GEF Small Grants, SPREP's Pacific Regional Invasive Species Management Support Service (PRISMSS) and Restoring Island Resilience Project funded by NZ MFAT whose generous support helped the Takutea project to happen.