Improved survival rates for braided river birds in the Mackenzie Basin
Hatching rates for many of the Mackenzie Basin’s rare birds have greatly improved because of a predator control initiative.
Stay updated with breaking news from Simone Smits. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
Hatching rates for many of the Mackenzie Basin’s rare birds have greatly improved because of a predator control initiative.
Smits was not surprised at the rate of predator catching. “When you're dealing with an area as big as we are, which goes from the mountain ranges to the braided riverbeds, it’s not surprising you’re going to get a lot of predators. “But 10,000 predator catches means 10,000 more opportunities for native birds and lizards to survive and thrive.” Smits said hedgehogs were “surprisingly difficult” to catch, due to their large homing range. “We first thought they would be easy to catch, but they’re actually quite tricky. The number of hedgehogs caught is a true refle...