The Department of Conservation, in conjunction with the Tuhua Trust Board, spread poison baits from the air in 2000 as part of an island restoration project funded by the New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy.

Follow-up monitoring in 2002 has confirmed there are no more rats or cats on Tuhua, meaning that a new pest-free island refuge is available for species threatened on the New Zealand mainland.

Tuhua is a volcanic island, one of the northernmost expressions of a zone of volcanoes and geothermal activity that includes the Central North Island volcanoes and the Rotorua geothermal area.

The island’s landscape is rugged and forested. Healthy populations of nectar-feeding bellbirds and tui, and wood pigeons are found on Tuhua. Other native birds include morepork and fantail, kaka, grey warbler, waxeye, kingfisher, pied tit and harrier hawk. The island has been a wildlife refuge since 1953.

The Department of Conservation website has more information about Tuhua.