Predator control for protecting kaki (Himantopus novaezelandiae)—lessons from 20 years of management

In New Zealand, the endemic kaki or black stilt (Himantopus novaezelandiae) has been the focus of intensive conservation management for the past 20 years. Threatened by predation and habitat loss, the population fell to as low as 23 birds before management was implemented to reverse the decline. Predator trapping has been one form of management intervention in the wild, yet despite 20 years of control, there is only limited evidence to suggest that predator trapping is beneficial for the survival of kaki. Lack of adequate experimental design and understanding of the predator-prey dynamics in the system in which kaki live appear to be the main reasons why the benefits of predator control are not consistently clear. An adaptive management approach would have provided more information on the efficacy of predator trapping and increased understanding of the inter-relationships between kaki survival and predator abundance.     

Removal of introduced predators, but not artificial refuge supplementation, increases skink survival in coastal duneland

Exotic predators can have detrimental impacts on indigenous fauna. Lethal predator control is commonly used to reduce predator impacts, but is not always feasible, effective or ethical. A promising non-lethal alternative is refuge supplementation for prey. We conducted a Before-After Control-Impact (BACI) experiment over 3 years to determine the relative effects of predator removal (by exclosure fencing) and artificial refuge supplementation on survival of McCann’s skink (Oligosoma maccanni) in duneland on Kaitorete Spit (South Island, New Zealand). Skink populations on 0.0625 ha-grids were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, each replicated four times: (a) predator exclosure only; (b) artificial retreats only; (c) exclosure + artificial retreats, and (d) control (no exclosure or artificial retreats), and monitored annually by pitfall trapping. Capture-recapture analysis was used to estimate the difference in annual survival probability between pre- and post-treatment periods. On average, survival increased only at grids that received the exclosure-only treatment (effect size of 0.03 (0.017-0.043; unconditional 95% CI)). Reduction in predator abundance (by lethal predator control or predator exclusion), but not artificial refuge supplementation, is predicted to benefit McCann’s skink. Our findings add to other studies highlighting the detrimental impacts of exotic predators on indigenous prey and calls for improved means of reducing predator impacts.     

Implications of intraguild predation for sea turtle nest protection

In the United States, raccoons Procyon lotor are often removed from sea turtle nesting beaches to decrease egg mortality. However, raccoons also consume ghost crabs Ocypode quadrata, another common egg predator. Reducing predator populations can benefit secondary predators, inflating total predation pressure and leading to a decline in prey species. We used track and burrow counts to compare raccoon and ghost crab abundance at four beaches in Florida, USA, that differ in management activity and determined predation rates on loggerhead Caretta caretta nests by each predator. Mean raccoon abundance (range 0.12-0.46 tracks plot⁻¹ night⁻¹) and ghost crab density (0.09-0.19 burrows m⁻²) were inversely correlated. Ghost crabs were largest at the site with the fewest raccoons. The stable nitrogen isotope ratios of ghost crabs (mean 9.8‰) were positively correlated with body mass, indicating larger ghost crabs feed at a higher trophic level and suggesting large ghost crabs may consume more loggerhead eggs. The highest rates of egg predation by both predators (31%) occurred where raccoon abundance was lowest and ghost crab abundance was highest, suggesting ghost crab burrows may facilitate predation by raccoons. Our data suggest that predation by raccoons limits ghost crabs and that removing raccoons can increase ghost crab abundance and sea turtle egg mortality. Although predator removal can be effective when nest predation rates are quite high, maintaining moderate raccoon densities may be important for controlling ghost crabs. These results highlight the importance of understanding food web connectivity in developing management strategies to achieve conservation goals, especially when the species of concern are threatened or facing extinction.     

Factors influencing survival and long-term population viability of New Zealand long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus): Implications for conservation

A population viability analysis is important for the management of endangered populations and requires the estimation of survival parameters. The long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) is one of only two native terrestrial mammals currently found in New Zealand and is classed as vulnerable. Its viability in temperate beech (Nothofagus) forest, Eglinton Valley, Fiordland, New Zealand was estimated using mark-recapture data collected between 1993 and 2003 using the Program MARK. Survival was estimated based on a total of 5286 captures representing 1026 individuals. Overall annual survival varied between 0.34 and 0.83 but varied significantly among three sub-populations and with sex and age. Females generally had a higher survival rate compared to males; and adults had higher survival relative to juveniles. Survival of all bats was lower in years when the number of introduced mammalian predators was high and when the winter temperature was warmer than average. High numbers of introduced predators occurred during three of the 10 years in the study. Climate change may mean that the conditions that promote high predator numbers may occur more frequently. A preliminary population viability analysis using a projection matrix on the overall adult female population showed an average 5% decline per year (λ = 0.95). Increased predator control targeting a range of predators is required in years when their numbers are high in order to halt the decline of this population of long-tailed bats. Population estimates using minimum number alive estimates supported the population estimates derived from Program MARK and a population viability analysis using matrices.     

Effects of Garlic Bulb Aqueous Extract on Cucumber Seedlings,Soil Microbial Counts,and Enzyme Activities

The effects of the aqueous extract of garlic bulbs on cucumber seed germination, seedling growth, soil microbial counts, and soil enzyme activities were investigated using a bioassay test and a pot experiment. Garlic bulb extracts impacted cucumber seed germination and seedling growth but had no significant effects at low concentration. Polyphenol oxidase, saccharase, urease, and catalase activities were increased significantly at all concentrations of aqueous extract tested in the soil. Bacterial counts were increased by garlic bulb extract and trends of actinomycete counts were the same as for bacterial counts. Fungal counts were significantly depressed with increasing concentration of garlic bulb extract. Polyphenol oxidase activity showed significant positive correlations with catalase, saccharase, and urease activities and counts of actinomycetes and a significant negative correlation with fungal counts. The results indicate that garlic may be effective in reducing some obstacles of continuous cropping through its potential effects in appropriate culture systems.     

Evaluation of Two Techniques: mFC AND mTEC for Determining Distributions of Fecal Pollution in Small,North Carolina Tidal Creeks

Most tidal creeks in North Carolina are closed or partially closed to shellfishing. These creeks often remain closed due to the inability to determine sources of fecal pollution. This study was designed for intensive fecal coliform monitoring of Futch Creek, N.C., to try and determine sources(s) of fecal pollution. Futch Creek is a mildly polluted tidal creek, with marginal levels of fecal coliforms and could potentially be reopened. Problems in interpreting levels of fecal coliforms and pollution risks are two fold and were extremely pronounced in this study. First, several environmental factors have been shown to influence levels of fecal coliforms. Therefore, effects of temperature, salinity, tidal cycles, and rain events on fecal coliform counts were examined. There were higher fecal coliform levels in the warmer temperatures. There was a strong inverse relationship with salinity, with highest fecal coliform counts in the 10–14 g L^-1 range for both the mFC and mTEC counts with no apparent source of pollution. This trend was also observed in three other tidal creeks. Tidal cycles did affect fecal coliform counts with substantially higher counts during low tide and appeared to be more important than rain events. It is apparent that when evaluating several stations in a creek, samples must be taken during the same tidal cycle stage in order to have comparative data. Counts obtained using the mTEC method were consistently higher than mFC counts in all salinity ranges. Basic taxonomic tests were performed on fecal coliforms isolated from three salinity regimes: 0 g L^-1, 10–14 g L^-1, and 23–26 g L^-1. The mFC method in the 10–14 g L^-1 (45%) and 23–26 g L^-1 (70%) salinity range had the highest incidence of false-positive counts (non E. coli). The mTEC method also had the highest incidence of false-positive counts in the 23–26 g L^-1 (27%) and 10–14 g L^-1 (24%), none as high as the mFC method. Therefore, the mTEC method appears to be the better of the two but is still not an ideal approach.     

Large scale predator control improves the productivity of a rare New Zealand riverine duck

Declines in avian populations are often attributed to the presence of introduced predators but conservation managers frequently lack good information about the effectiveness of potential predator control regimes for protecting threatened species. Whio, Hymenolaimus malacorhynchos, are a threatened New Zealand waterfowl that has been declining in both distribution and abundance. We conducted a six-year study using a paired-catchment experiment in New Zealand Nothofagus forest as part of an adaptive management programme to assess whether whio populations responded positively to stoat (Mustela erminea) control. Video monitoring identified stoats as the primary nest predator. Year-round low-intensity stoat control (10 traps per linear km) significantly reduced the stoat abundance index in trapped sites compared with untrapped sites. As a result, whio nesting success and productivity, the number of fledglings produced per pair, increased significantly in the trapped compared to the untrapped area. However, survival rates and the number of pairs did not change significantly between the treatments. These findings indicate stoats are the primary agent of decline for whio in this Nothofagus forest system, and show that low-intensity stoat control is sufficient to improve the productivity of whio populations. Overall, the study demonstrates the value of an adaptive management approach whereby management techniques can be evaluated to ensure that the primary agent of decline is clearly identified and that predator densities are kept sufficiently low.     

Kiwellin, a modular protein from green and gold kiwi fruits: evidence of in vivo and in vitro processing and IgE binding

Kiwellin, an allergenic protein formerly isolated from green kiwi fruit, has been identified as the most abundant component of the gold kiwi species. A protein named KiTH, showing a 20 kDa band on reducing SDS-PAGE and 100% identity with the C-terminal region of kiwellin, has been identified in the extract of the ripe green species. In vitro treatment of purified kiwellin with the protease actinidin from green kiwi fruit originated KiTH and kissper, a recently described pore-forming peptide. Primary structure analysis and experimental evidence suggest that kiwellin is a modular protein with two domains. It may undergo in vivo proteolytic processing by actinidin, thus producing KiTH and kissper. When probed with sera recognizing kiwellin from green kiwi fruit, KiTH showed IgE binding, with reactivity levels sometimes different from those of kiwellin. The IgE-binding capacity of kiwellin from gold kiwi fruit appears to be similar to that of the green species.     

Can threatened species survive where the top predator is absent?

Top predators have been described as highly interactive keystone species. Their decline has been linked to secondary extinctions and their increase has been linked to ecological restoration. Several authors have recently argued that the dingo Canis lupus dingo is another example of a top predator that maintains mesopredators and generalist herbivores at low and stable numbers, thereby increasing biodiversity and productivity. Due to the sensitivity of many Australian species to introduced mesopredators and herbivores, the top predator hypothesis predicts that threatened species will not survive where dingoes are rare or absent. However, several threatened species have survived inside the Dingo Barrier Fence (DBF). We present a new view on the survival of the yellow-footed rock-wallaby Petrogale xanthopus xanthopus and the malleefowl Leipoa ocellata inside the DBF where the dingo is considered very rare, or in areas where the dingo is believed to have been eradicated several decades ago. We found that dingoes co-occurred with both threatened species. Dingoes were present at all wallaby colonies surveyed and occurred throughout their range. The most common predator detected in areas inhabited by the wallabies was in fact the dingo, and we found no significant difference between dingo abundance inside compared to outside the DBF. Malleefowl nests were found to be scent marked by dingoes at the three sites that we surveyed, despite these sites being close to human settlement and sheep farms, and in small and fragmented patches of wilderness. These findings provide further evidence for an association between the presence of dingoes and the survival of threatened species, which is in agreement with the top predator hypothesis. The results of this study challenges the current assumption that the presence and ecological consequence of dingoes in sheep country are negligible and we suggest that wildlife managers verify whether dingoes are present before predator control is initiated.     

Aromatic characterization of pot distilled kiwi spirits

This study contributes fundamental knowledge that will help to develop a distillate of kiwi wine, made from kiwis of the Hayward variety grown in the southwest of Galicia (Spain). Two yeast strains, L1 (Saccharomyces cerevisiae ALB-6 from the EVEGA yeast collection) and L2 (S. cerevisiae Uvaferm BDX from Lallemand) were assessed to obtain a highly aromatic distillate. The kiwi spirits obtained were compared with other fruit spirits, in terms of higher alcohols, minor alcohols, monoterpenols, and other minor compounds, which are relevant in determining the quality and taste of the kiwi spirits. It was found that the kiwi juice fermented with yeast L1 produced a more aromatic distillate. In addition, kiwi distillates produced with both yeasts had the same ratio of trans-3-hexen-1-ol and cis-3-hexen-1-ol, which is lower than that found in other fruit distillates.     

FT-IR study of the changes in carbohydrate chemistry of three New Jersey pine barrens leaf litters during simulated control burning

Low intensity control burns are a standard fuel reduction management tool used in pine barrens ecosystems. Periodic disturbances through fire can be an important influence on the cycling of nutrients within the ecosystem. Previous studies have shown that the inorganic chemistry of leaf litter residues differs with increasing temperature. Our study compared chemical changes in white oak (Quercus alba), pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), characteristic of the New Jersey pine barrens, during thermal decomposition using FT-IR spectroscopy. Three replicates of senescent leaf material were ground and separately heated for 2 h at: 100, 200, 300, 400 and 550 °C. These temperatures are representative of the range seen in fuel reducing prescribed burns in the pine barrens. Unburned litter of each species was used as a control. An optimization process using varying amounts of KBr and oak litter was performed to develop favorable FT-IR spectral conditions for a sample to KBr ratio of 0.75%. Chemometric analysis of the FT-IR spectra using principal component analysis (PCA) was used to analyze the changes in carbohydrate chemistry of each litter plant species (leaf litter species) at each temperature. In general, it appears that there is clear separation of leaf litter species at the different combustion temperatures. Infrared spectroscopy illustrated that all three species shared wavenumbers characteristic of the primary components of leaves such as cellulose, lignin and hemicellulose. Results from the PCA indicated separation of litter species and species by combustion temperature. PC axis 1 corresponds to the effects of temperature on leaf litter species and PC axis 2 separates the leaf litter species. At the low temperatures (control-200 °C), oak, pine and huckleberry litter species separated from each other. Wavenumbers that contributed to the separation of species at low temperatures belonged to functional group stretching frequencies of outer surface waxes, basic sugars, fatty acids and aldehydes. It appears that oak had more IR bands specific to suberin content. Convergence of these species occurs at 300 °C. Complexity of chemical composition decreases at this particular temperature as is shown by the decrease in wavenumber richness when compared to litters at low and high temperatures. Oak, pine and huckleberry had similar IR spectra showing bands belonging to outer surface wax content, pectin, lignin and hemicellulose. With increasing temperatures (400-550 °C), differences between litter species increased slightly. Plant material was reduced to similar composition due to thermal decomposition, which consisted of inorganic materials such as carbonate, phosphate and sulfate ions and possible fused aromatics.     

Monitoring predators to optimize their management for marine turtle nest protection

The fundamental conservation focus for Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge (HSNWR), Florida is to provide protected nesting habitat for three threatened or endangered marine turtle species. Turtle nesting and hatching spans from early spring to fall each year. Left unchecked, nest predation by raccoons and armadillos would destroy most turtle nests. Predators are removed to protect nests, primarily with a one person-month contract using control specialists. We maximized the efficiency of predator removal by using a passive tracking index to: (1) optimize the timing and strategy for predator removal, (2) minimize labor by identifying areas where predator removal would have maximal effect, (3) examine beach invasion patterns of predators, (4) assess efficacy of removal efforts, (5) provide anticipatory information for future turtle nesting seasons, and (6) serve as a detection method for invasion by additional species known to depredate turtle nests. An overall nest predation rate of 28% resulted, whereas the rate for the previous year was 42% when the same level of contracted predator removal was applied, but without monitoring predators. One year before that, predator removal was done without contracts with specialists and predation was 48%. Up to 95% of the nests were destroyed in the years prior to predator removal. Using 2000 data on numbers of nests, clutch sizes, and emergence rates, we estimated the number of hatchlings that would have been lost assuming that the predation rates observed from four predator removal scenarios at HSNWR would have occurred in 2000. Historical predation of 95% would have resulted in 120,597 hatchlings lost in 2000. Predator removal as part of regular refuge operations would have reduced this number to 62,481. Addition of a contract with control specialists would have further reduced the number lost to 53,778. Addition of temporal and spatial monitoring for predator removal reduced losses to 36,637.     

Tallgrass prairie management and bird nest success along roadsides

The attributes of roadside vegetation, an important bird habitat in grassland ecosystems, have been shown to affect bird abundance, distribution composition, and diversity, yet there are relatively few works on reproductive success of birds nesting along roadsides. Because roadsides are linear habitats, management at the landscape scale can affect nest success in roadsides through bottom-up and top-down effects. In northeastern Oklahoma tallgrass prairie is subjected annually to prescribed spring fires. In the short term fires can alter both arthropod abundance and predator access to nests. We explored effects of burning on bird nest success with a five-year study along roads that traversed tallgrass prairie habitat. Using data from ∼1400 nests of 23 species, we generated nest survival curves for groups of altricial species defined by nest substrate (ground, shrub, tree, or culvert). We then determined if these curves were affected by management practice (spring burning), food abundance (arthropod biomass), and habitat attributes (tree density and height). Nest substrate had a large effect on nest success: despite their shorter nest exposure period, ground nests were least successful and culvert nests were most successful. An increase in arthropod biomass following burning was possibly the cause for the increased nest success in burned plots, regardless of substrate, suggesting bottom-up control. Tree height and nest height were correlated positively with nest success, whereas tree density had no effect. Conversely, nest predation rates were correlated negatively with nest success, with ground nests experiencing the highest predation, culvert nests the lowest. Our results suggest that burning may increase nest success through bottom-up processes, but some species may not benefit from the increase in food abundance as a result of a concomitant increase in predation.     

拮抗菌发酵的生物有机肥对茄子生长和青枯病的防治效果

采用盆栽试验研究了拮抗菌发酵的生物有机肥(BIO-36和BIO-23)对茄子植株的生长以及青枯病防治效果的影响。结果表明:①苗期茄子植株生长30天时,施用BIO-36和BIO-23的处理鲜重显著增加,尤其BIO-36处理的茄子根系的总长、总表面积和总体积提高8.58倍、2.74倍和16.57倍;②茄子苗移栽35天时,施用BIO-36和BIO-23的处理株高、地上部和地下部生物量都有显著提高,青枯病的发病率低,分别为4.1%和8.3%;③施用BIO-36和BIO-23的处理的茄子根际的真菌数量比对照CK增加了4.1~4.6倍和3.89~4.64倍,放线菌数量增加了3.38~3.78倍和3.08~3.47倍,根际茄科劳尔氏菌的数量分别为1.5×105cfu/g、2.1×105cfu/g,都控制在106cfu/g数量级以下,而对照处理数量级达到了1.23×106cfu/g。施用拮抗菌发酵的生物有机肥能显著促进茄子植株的生长,有效地降低茄子青枯病的发病率。     

Conservation and the scarecrow effect: Can human activity benefit threatened species by displacing predators?

Most wild animals show direct negative responses to human disturbance; however, disturbance may also have positive indirect effects by altering species interactions. In the Caribbean, introduced mongooses (Herpestes javanicus) are an important diurnal predator of the nests of critically endangered hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). We asked whether daytime visitor activity could benefit hawksbills by reducing mongoose activity in nesting habitat. We used track monitoring sites to measure how mongooses alter their space use in response to fluctuating human beach use and availability of hawksbill nests, and we estimated the indirect impact of human disturbance on nest predation for 5 years of hawksbill nesting. Human activity substantially decreased mongoose use of nesting habitat. Mongoose activity increased with abundance of nests and was lower at the edge than the interior of patches of beach vegetation, but neither factor altered relative sensitivity to disturbance. We estimated that, in addition to deterring mongooses from accessing nests on the open beach, human activity has the potential to reduce predation of nests in vegetation by up to 56% at our site, with the greatest per capita impact at low (<50) visitor numbers. Many forms of human activity negatively affect sea turtles, but our study indicates that there are positive aspects of daytime use of nesting beaches. Optimizing the trade-off between positive and negative impacts of disturbance could provide a useful approach for regulating tourist activity in critical habitat for threatened species.     

Effects of predator training on behavior and post-release survival of captive prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

Reintroduction of captive animals to the wild is a conservation strategy that has rarely succeeded. For many species, the blame has been placed on ineffective post-release behavior. In particular, predation on newly released animals can be devastating. To deal with this problem, biologists have initiated programs of pre-release predator training. However, the success of these programs as a function of long-term post-release survival has yet to be measured.The development of effective antipredator behavior is known to be dependent upon experience. In social species, this experience may involve hearing alarm vocalizations, observing a conspecific interacting with a predator, or encountering a predator in the presence of an experienced group member. Here, we examine the effects of training captive juvenile black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) with presentations of black-footed ferret, red tailed hawk, prairie rattlesnake predators, and a nonpredator control (cottontail). Training consisted of presenting appropriate alarm vocalizations during predator exposure. Playbacks of alarm vocalizations enhanced antipredator behavior toward these predators. Results revealed that training had an immediate and lasting effect on juveniles prior to release to the wild and that these differences appeared to promote post-release survival.     

Edge effects of an invasive species across a natural ecological boundary

Natural habitats adjacent to human-modified areas often suffer edge effects stemming from physical disturbance, elevated predator densities, or invasive species. Although seldom documented, detrimental edge effects can also occur at natural ecological boundaries. Here I examine the spatial pattern and ecological effects of a biological invasion at well-delineated and abrupt edges between riparian corridors and coastal sage scrub at 10 sites in southwestern California. The invasive Argentine ant Linepithema humile thrives in moist riparian corridors but decreases greatly in number with increasing distance into adjacent dry scrub habitats. As L. humile numbers decrease, both the number of native ant workers and the number of native ant species captured in pitfall traps increase. Argentine ants appear to suppress native ants within at least 50 m of riparian corridors, but these effects diminish to undetectable levels by 200 m. At comparable uninvaded sites neither the number of native ant workers nor the number of native ant species captured in pitfall traps varies significantly across riparian-scrub edges. Areas subject to this edge effect may be sinks both for native ants and for organisms that depend on them for food or services. In general edge effects occurring at natural boundaries should receive increased attention as they might disrupt ecosystems not greatly altered by human activity.     

The role of introduced mammals and inverse density-dependent predation in the conservation of Hutton's shearwater

This study investigated the impact of stoat Mustela erminea predation on the endangered Hutton's shearwater Puffinus huttoni. Breeding success of Hutton' shearwaters was significantly lower in two seasons of stoat control than in eight seasons with no control: suggesting that natural environmental variation has a greater influence on breeding success than stoat predation. Monitoring Hutton's shearwaters and mainland colonies of sooty shearwaters Puffinus griseus indicated that small colonies suffered higher predation and lower breeding success than large colonies, demonstrating that predation in these two species is inversely density dependent and explaining the low predation rates observed in the very large Hutton's shearwater colonies. The presence of another introduced predator, feral pigs Sus scrofa, within six extinct colonies of Hutton's shearwaters and at the boundaries of the two extant colonies, strongly suggests that this species was responsible for the historic contraction in breeding range. Controlling stoats within the two remaining colonies is unlikely to assist in the conservation of Hutton's shearwater. Conservation efforts would be better spent protecting the two remaining colonies from pigs and in trying to establish new breeding sites.     

基于Adaboost算法的田间猕猴桃识别方法

实现猕猴桃自动化采摘的关键是自然环境下果实的准确识别。为提高田间猕猴桃果实的识别效果,基于Adaboost算法,利用RGB、HSI、La*b*3个颜色空间中的1个或多个通道构建6个不同的弱分类器,用采集的猕猴桃果实和背景共300个样本点进行训练生成1个强分类器。然后选择655个测试样本点进行验证,强分类器分类精度为94.20%,高于任意弱分类器。对80幅图像中215个猕猴桃进行试验,结果表明：Adaboost算法可有效抑制天空、地表等复杂背景的影响,适合于自然场景下的猕猴桃图像识别,识别率高达96.7%。该技术大大提高了猕猴桃采摘机器人的作业效率。     

Why is eradication of invasive mustelids so difficult?

We conducted two field experiments to explore the reactions of feral ferrets (Mustela furo) to traps and bait dispensers set on pastoral farmland in central North Island, New Zealand. First, in 2004 we showed that only six of 13 radio-collared ferrets resident near four observation stations approached to within 8 m of two stations, and only three of the six entered over 8 days of observation. Five of the 15 ferrets available on the 6000 ha study area eluded recapture, although all remained present. Second, in 2006 we monitored the survival of 23 radio-collared ferrets before, throughout and after a 5-week field experiment, using toxic bait deployed in 20 automated bait dispensers distributed over 2554 ha. Eight ferrets entered a bait dispenser: four entered but did not take the bait; two did not visit but were killed by secondary poisoning; and nine never entered a bait dispenser. After the experiment, intensive live trapping guided by repeated radio-location surveys retrieved only two of 13 collared ferrets that were definitely still alive on the study area. Inefficiency of trapping wide-ranging mustelids such as ferrets, stoats (Mustela erminea) and mink (Neovison vison) is probably commonplace, due to lack of opportunity (if animals take longer to find or enter a trap than it remains available) and/or to active avoidance (refusal to enter traps or to take bait). Our results provide confirmed examples of both, and help explain why short-term or seasonal control of invasive mustelids is often very inefficient, and eradication unlikely.