A wily stoat that was on the loose on one of Auckland's pest-free islands appears to have either died or swum away.
The stoat was first detected on Motukorea/Browns Island by a conservation dog in mid-March, just before the Covid-19 lockdown.
Teams also spotted footprints in the sand, found stoat poo and discovered where the stoat had been hiding its kills.
Auckland Council senior ranger Miranda Bennett told Sarah Robson while they haven't caught the stoat, they have been monitoring traps and the latest search on Friday didn't turn anything up, which means they're pretty confident stoat is no longer there.
