Second batch of alligator discovered in Taranaki

Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Officer Abby Lagula with the alligator found near Waitara.

Provided

Taranaki Regional Council Environmental Officer Abby Lagula with the alligator found near Waitara.

A super invasive noxious weed has been discovered at a second site in Taranaki.

The Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) has confirmed that the Alligator Weed was found in a private ornamental pond in Stratford.

This follows the discovery of the weed in a Waitara lagoon last month.

The invasive noxious plant from South America clogs wetlands, lakes and rivers, can increase the risk of flooding, is toxic to some farm animals and can block access to waterways for recreation .

TRC is also looking at where the alligator may have come from, with the closest known infestations being in Marokopa to the north and Manawatū to the south.

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TRC environmental services manager Steve Ellis said initial investigations indicate the weed is confined to the lagoon system. However, it is too early to rule out the possibility of further spread.

“The alligator spreads easily, so it may have been blown along the coast and pushed inland, or it may have been inadvertently transported by other means.”

Another survey of the area is planned for November when the plant will be most visible. The council will then decide how best to control the infestation.

Conversations with locals suggest it might have been there for a few years, Ellis said.

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