From The ODT
"A 700kg load of rat poison has fallen from a helicopter on to Fiordland's Anchor Island, a safe haven for endangered kakapo.
A storage pod full of brodifacoum cereal pellet baits fell from a helicopter yesterday and landed in the large freshwater lake on the 1300ha island in Dusky Sound, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson said.
Eight hectares of land surrounding the lake has been searched and no pellets have been found.
"Anchor Island is home to endangered kakapo and the immediate response of DOC staff on the ground was to ensure the birds were not at any risk," Ms Wilkinson said.
"Two kakapo in the vicinity of the lake have been removed to another island as a precaution. It is highly likely all the poisoned baits landed in the lake.
"Brodificaum does break down in water and DOC will continuously monitor the lake over the coming weeks to judge what, if any, ecological impact the spill has had."Whatever caused this whether human or mechanical error - someone should be held responsible - imagine if under this type of scenario ALL the kakapo were killed. The time to stop that happening is BEFORE it happens. Tighten up and sort this out.
