SECONDARY POISONING OF MUSTELIDS IN A NEW-ZEALAND NOTHOFAGUS FOREST

Eleven radio-tagged stoats (Mustela erminea) and one weasel (M. nivali s) died of secondary poisoning following Talon 20 P-TM (20 ppm brodifa coum) poisoning operations which killed mice (Mus musculus), ship rats (Rattus rattus) and probably brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula ) in a New Zealand beech (Nothofagus) forest. This poisoning method co uld be an especially useful way of restoring New Zealand native bird p opulations because it kills several predator species in one operation. Potential unwanted side-effects must be researched before its routine use. This research also demonstrates the potential hazards of second- generation anticoagulant rodenticides to conservation of rodent predat ors in Europe.