A Department of Conservation dog has caught and killed a rat that was about to hitch a ride to a pest-free island in the Hauraki Gulf.
The rat was on a van that was on a ferry bound for Motuihe Island, which has been free of rodents and other pests since 1996.
A specially trained dog found the rat while checking cargo being loaded on to the ferry at Half Moon Bay in Howick, Auckland.
The dog's handler, Finn Buchanan, says if the rat had got on to the island, endangered species, including kakariki, bellbirds, saddlebacks and shore skinks, would have been at risk.
