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Table 9.3: Key mammals which have reduced New Zealand's biodiversity
| Species | Population | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Humans | (Homo sapiens) | 3.6 million (1996) | Population growing at 1.5% per year (1990-95). Economy (GDP) growing at 2.2% per year (1990-95) Energy use growing at 2% per year (1990-95) |
| Sheep | (Ovis aries) | 48.8 million (1995) | Peaked at 70.3 million (1982). Steadily declining. |
| Cattle | (Bos taurus, B. indicus) | 9.3 million (1995) | At record level. (Averaged 8 million through the 1980s) |
| Horses | (Equus caballus) | Domestic: 40,000 (1981) | Peaked at 400,000 (1921). |
| Feral: Kaimanawa ca. 1,800 Northland ca. 500 | Feral populations can damage native plants so are periodically culled in conservation areas. |
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| Rabbits | (Oryctolagus cuniculus) | Tens of millions (1995). | Occupy 56% (15 million hectares) of the land area. Pose a high to extreme risk to pasture over 1 million hectares of South Island high country where they are prone to dramatic population explosions. |
| Goats | (Capra hircus) | Farm: 337,000 (1995) | Farm goats peaked at 1.3 million (1988). |
| Feral: 300,000-1 million | Feral goats were reduced by helicopter shooting in the 197080s, but increased during the farming downturn. They occupy 3 million hectares, two-thirds of it DOC land. | ||
| Tahr | (Hemitragus jemlahicus) | 10,000-14,000 (1994) | Peaked at 60,000 (1970s).Were reduced by helicopter shooting to about 6,000 (1983). |
| Deer | (Cervus spp. andDama dama) | Farm: 1.8 million (1995) | Farm deer still increasing. |
| Feral: 250,000 (1993) | Wild (mostly Red) deer peaked in 197075, and are now controlled by hunting. | ||
| Pigs | (Sus scrofa) | Farm: 431,000 (1995) | Farm pigs peaked at 771,000 (1964). |
| Feral: at least 300,000 | About 100,000 feral pigs are killed annually. Problem areas are Northland, Nelson/Marlborough, the Chatham Islands and Auckland Island. | ||
| Possums | (Trichosurus vulpecula) | 70 million (1993) | Occupy more than 90% of the country, still spreading, and subject to widespread control operations. |
| Mustelids | (Mustela spp.) | Absent from Stewart and Chatham Islands. | |
| Stoats (M. erminea) | Possibly millions | Stoats are common in forests, including Fiordland beech forests. | |
| Ferrets (M. putorius) | Possibly millions | Ferrets are common in open country where rabbits, their main prey, are abundant. | |
| Weasels (M. nivalis) | Probably thousands | Weasels are uncommon | |
| Rats | (Rattus spp.) | ||
| Ship rats (R. rattus) | Tens of millions | Ship rats are common in forests, especially podocarp-hardwoods. | |
| Norway rats (R. norvegicus) | Tens of millions | Norway rats peaked before stoats arrived and are now limited to towns, farms, water margins and islands. | |
| Pacific rats (kiore) (R. exulans) | Tens of thousands | Pacific rats are now limited to Fiordland and about 50 islands. | |
| Cats | (Felis catus) | Pets: ca 770,000 (1991-92) | Almost half the nation's homes have pet cats. |
| Feral: Possibly millions | Feral cats are widespread. Population trends unknown. | ||
| Dogs | (Canis familiaris) | Pets: ca 398,000 (1991-92) | Around 29% of homes have pet dogs and at least a third of the nation's farms have 1 or more teams of working dogs. |
| Farm: 150-300,000 (1992) | |||
| Feral: Insignificant | Dog population trends are unknown. |
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