-
Related
A pair of rare hand-reared tuatara are out in the wild for the first time.
The endangered reptiles were born at Auckland Zoo but are now in
their natural habitat on Cuvier Island, 40 kilometres off the
Coromandel Coast.
Getting the tuatara to their new location is a mission. It takes
more than two hours to reach the boat and then it's another two
hours to the island. Finally there is an hour's hike to the release
site.
Auckland Zoo's breeding programme has been boosting tuatara numbers since 1990.
"When we went looking for them prior to taking the rats off the island we could only find six left on 200 hectares," Department of Conservation ranger Rob Chappell says.
Eighteen years later the total population with the return of the latest two is about 27.
Tuatara are notoriously slow breeders and it will be several more years before numbers get to a sustainable level.
"I suggest I'll be long gone before there's ever a big population in this island," Chappell says.
In the spring 14 more tuatara are expected to make their voyage home.
