Stoats in chch city.

[chris]

I just saw a stoat cross the road near the ferry road bridge just above the yacht club. On the road heading up hill. Very heavy traffic below heading both ways from McCormick's bay . The 2nd one I've seen in my suburb. Very disappointing. I did notice tho that this one had a very lite brown coat. Is this because it's a cub or perhaps just a dry zone Canterbury thing.

[andrewcrossland]

Weasels are a lot more abundant than stoats in the CHCH area and over the last decade we've caught no stoats, but 2 or 3 weasels at nearby Charlesworth Reserve. I wonder if this was what you saw?

[chris]

Yeah that's an animal I didn't consider. It seemed a bit shaggy for a stoat as well. But the first one was definitely a stoat. I watched it for quite a few minutes as I sat outside the door as it hunted fastidiously around my letter box in and out of the vegetation covering my retaining wall. I set a trap with no result.