Project outline

High vertical valley walls surrounding the Sinbad Gully form the natural barrier that limit the invasion of introduced predators.

A pest control programme in the valley will profit from this natural barrier because once removed, the reinvasion of predators will be lower than other mainland sites.

In the Sinbad Gully a number of new species of lizards have just recently been discovered; “Sinbad” and the “Mahogany” skinks and one species of gecko, the “Cascade” gecko.

The establishment of possum and stoat control will create a safer haven for these three very rare lizards along with a range of endangered birds and insects and will help to ensure their continued survival for generations to come.

The Sinbad Gully would also link well to the current programme that is underway in the Worsley, Clinton, Arthur and Cleddau catchments.

Cost – setup $44,000
Cost – per annum $35,000

Timeframe
The pest knockdown would be completed within 12 months of securing the funding.

Project Code – sinbad1

Background

The Sinbad Gully is located close to the head of Milford Sound within Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand world heritage area.
In 1974 Sinbad Gully was set apart as a “Special Area” because of the presence of kakapo and the largely unmodified state of the vegetation. This status was lifted in 1992. At this stage deer had become established in Sinbad Gully and kakapo were thought to be no longer present, therefore it was considered no longer necessary to restrict public access under the special area status. Sinbad Gully is now classified as part of the “Eastern Remote Zone” under the Fiordland National Park Management Plan (2007).
The Sinbad Gully has a natural barrier of steep terrain, combined with a cold, wet climate which has limited the invasion of mammalian predators. These attributes have contributed to making it a safer refuge for the rare lizard species such as the Sinbad and Mahogany skinks and the Cascade gecko. All three were only recently discovered in the Sinbad Gully and the Sinbad skink is known only to the Sinbad Gully. Other species present include rock wren, kea, whio, kiwi, weka, large weta and other large colourful invertebrates. The valley was also one of the last refuges of kakapo in Fiordland.
The animal pests that we propose to control have a serious impact on native wildlife through direct predation and competition for food. Control of both possums and stoats will be the key focus for this project. In time if funding allows rodent and deer control may also become a focus in the Sinbad.
Once the initial knockdown of possums and stoats has been achieved, ongoing control work will be required to maintain low predator densities. Maintenance control will be achieved through regular servicing of stoat traps and by monitoring possum densities and controlling as required. The valley walls surrounding the Sinbad Gully form a natural barrier that will limit the reinvasion of introduced predators.

Sinbad Sanctuary Project

Sinbad Gully located under the iconic Mitre Peak in Milford Sound was once alive with many endangered native birds, lizards and insects. Fortunately the steep terrain surrounding Sinbad Gully has slowed the invasion of introduced predators into the gully and therefore still remains home to a number of very rare lizard species as well as weka, whio, kea, kaka, large weta and other large colourful invertebrates. For the same reason the valley was known to contain one of the last populations of kakapo on mainland New Zealand. Conservationists have identified Sinbad Gully as a natural ‘island’ which makes the valley suitable for concentrated pest control.

Media Release – 27 August 2009

Sinbad Project to be funded by Southern Discoveries

The Fiordland Conservation Trust are thrilled to announce an exciting new partnership with Southern Discoveries that will see the valley of New Zealand’s most photographed mountain become a sanctuary for some of our most endangered native species.

The Sinbad Gully, at the base of the world renowned ‘Mitre Peak’ in Milford Sound, is the focus of attention in a joint project with Southern Discoveries, the Fiordland Conservation Trust and Department of Conservation.
The Sinbad was home in the 1970’s to the last known kakapo living on the mainland. Since then new species of gecko and skink have been discovered here, some clinging to rock ledges 1600 metres above sea level with frost damage to their bodies.

“Something is obviously wrong when lizards only survive this high in Fiordland” said Trust Chairman, Mr Roger McNaughton.

The Sinbad Gully Pest Control Project will see Southern Discoveries donating $25,000 in the first year and $35,000 per annum thereafter to establish a pest control programme that will allow the threatened birds, lizards and invertebrate species to increase in number.

“World Heritage Status has not achieved protection for this valley from the rats, stoats, mice and possums that have made this area their home” Roger McNaughton said. “Southern Discoveries significant donation has ensured the establishment of this exciting Project. The protection of the threatened wildlife would not be going ahead without their contribution”.

John Robson, Southern Discoveries General Manager, said the sponsorship is a long term commitment. “We are really excited to support such a worthwhile project in this beautiful area of New Zealand. This will create a new safe site where threatened species may be reintroduced in the future”.
“The Sinbad Gully has all the makings of a spectacular and unique conservation project” Mr Robson said.

Southern Discoveries plan to profile the Sinbad Gully Pest Control Project in their interpretation material provided to tourists in the Milford Sound area. This includes their tour boats, the underwater observatory (Milford Sound Discovery Centre) and the Blue Duck Café.

As a result the educational spin-offs of the Project will be far reaching not only within New Zealand, but also in the international arena.

Press release - 12 February 2010

Project update

Work is now well underway on New Zealand’s newest sanctuary in the Sinbad Valley. The Department of Conservation have been contracted to undertake the formation of the trap lines, checking the traps, and will continue to monitor the various species in the area.

Food & Beverage
Manager Jorge -
click to enlarge

On 21 December 2009, all the traps were laid out on the seven kilometres of new trap line by DOC staff and volunteers from Southern Discoveries Milford Based staff. Each box was baited with meat and an egg, but the traps were not set. This was to get the pests used to the boxes.

These were checked on 27 January 2010 and all bait had been removed from every box. The boxes then were rebaited and set.

Hannah Edmonds from DOC and her team, including two Southern Discoveries staff headed in to the valley last week (3-4 Feb) to survey for skinks in the head of the Sinbad.

The results were:
Sinbad skinks – caught two and saw four more
Mahogany skink – caught six
Cascade Gecko – caught six.

This week the traps have been checked for the first time with 12 stoats caught and 1 rat!
“It is fantastic to have this project underway, and to have 12 less stoats in that valley will make a significant difference. We look forward to the monthly checks to see how quickly we can get the numbers of pests down, and to see through our monitoring the resulting impact on our threatened species” - Rachel Cockburn, Trust Manager.

Content © 2008 Fiordland Conservation Trust site design | tim mann design
Photography © : PhotoArt Fiordland Rod Morris Department of Conservation