A second stoat has been found on Kapiti Island, off the Kapiti Coast, prompting the Department of Conservation (DoC) to urge visitors to report any signs of pests on the wildlife sanctuary.
The department's biodiversity threats programme manager, Colin Giddy, says the animal was caught over the weekend about 700 metres from where a male stoat was was found in February.
Mr Giddy says it is the same spot where stoat faeces and a dead kakariki were discovered at the end of last year.
He says the new find appears to be an adult, and DNA testing is being done to determine its sex.
He says DoC is confident the sanctuary is not riddled with stoats, as trained dogs have searched the island a number of times and found evidence of the animals only twice.
Listen to Colin Giddy