Staff at the Dunedin bird sanctuary where a stoat has killed native birds are hopeful it has gone for good.
A stoat caught just outside the sanctuary fence. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
The stoat, believed to have got inside the Orokonui eco-sanctuary during snow in June, has wiped out the only mainland population of South Island saddlebacks.
A specialist detection dog searched the 300-hectare site for 18 hours over two days last week and found no stoat scent.
Orokonui's conservation manager, Elton Smith, with one of the motion cameras used to spot the stoat. Photo: RNZ / Ian Telfer
Orokonui conservation manager Elton Smith said it would have been better to have found a dead stoat in a trap, but they were cautiously optimistic it was no longer within the sanctuary.