Hordes of rats.....the size of cats....infest Titirangi
Hordes of huge rats have been causing trouble in the Auckland suburb of Titirangi, attracted to food left for stray chickens. The chickens are a Titirangi icon, but recently a member of the community has been leaving food out for them, allowing the birds to multiply - and attracting rodents. Local resident Victoria Jack told The AM Show attempts to fix the root cause of the problem have been unsuccessful. "The council have tried to round up the chickens at some point, it's very hard actually - I'm not sure who [residents are] supposed to talk to because they're just running around the bush." She confirmed the rats move in groups of up to 10 and aren't scared of humans. Developments in Titirangi mean the gangs of rodents have moved into the village, which is a problem because they aren't small. "I have a small cat, and I would say the ones I have seen have been at least that size," Jack said. But some resident-initiated attempts to fix it have caused more problems, with one endeavour to remove the chickens ending in disaster. "Someone had gone and put some poison down, where this person puts the feed, and that was like a kind of chicken apocalypse - it was awful. "Literally all these chickens fell out of the trees, fell out of the bush having seizures and foaming at the mouth. "So you can't really do that - that's not a humane way of dealing with the problem." Jack hopes the chickens can be rounded up and removed humanely without the use of poisons that could damage other wildlife. She's also hopeful the person feeding the birds stops leaving food around for the rats to find.
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Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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36.5% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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63.5% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
Poll: Is Auckland’s economy improving?
The latest reporting from The Post suggests a wave of optimism for 2026. With interest rates finally heading south, businesses are feeling more positive. But for many on the ground, the real-world recovery feels a bit like a slow-moving commute on Auckland's motorways.
We want to know: Are you seeing signs of Auckland's economy improving in your industry or neighbourhood? Whether it's busier shops, new projects kicking off, or just a shift in the mood ...
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17.2% Yes
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66.1% No
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16.7% A little
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