Island Conservation
Conservationists jump into action after researchers believed an invasive rat had made it to a predator-free island sanctuary for the Critically Endangered Kākāpō. Last week conservationists had a scare as news of a potential rat on a predator-free island put into question the fate of the Critically Endangered Kākāpō. Whenua Hou is a small island located […]
Takahē populations reach 300 for the first time in decades, but new conservation innovations are needed to save the species. Sometimes in life, modest milestones can feel like huge victories. Such is the case for conservation efforts aimed at protecting New Zealand’s South Island Takahē. Takahē are large flightless rails that live in the New […]
The Cobble Skink was discovered in 2007 but was discovered to be threatened by invasive species and climate change. Conservationists are stepping in to protect them. Imagine stepping outside of your local pub and discovering a species that no one knew existed. This is exactly what happened to reptile expert Tony Jewell in 2007 when […]
A small island in New Zealand exemplifies the significance of small islands. Spanning less than a square mile, North Brother Island supports rare, endemic New Zealand Species. In the middle of the Cook Strait in New Zealand lies the Brother Island formation. North Brother Island is less than a square mile in size, and is […]
The endemic Whio shows impressive population growth after invasive stoats are controlled within breeding areas. New Zealand’s endemic Blue Duck, also known as Whio, has been listed Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2002 when it was up-listed from Vulnerable. Conservationists are working hard to protect the small population of these New Zealand native birds, […]
Some of world’s rarest birds rebound on Pacific islands cleared of invasive predators Five remote Pacific islands are once again safe havens for four of our world’s rarest bird species following the success of one of the most ambitious island restoration projects ever implemented. Just two years after ambitious efforts by a team of international […]
Conservationists in New Zealand are working to reintroduce the North Island Robin to the Tararua range, where the population has dwindled due to invasive species. The North Island Robin is a small, grey bird native throughout New Zealand. But in the 1970’s they disappeared from parts of their natural habitat including the Tararua range. Why? Invasive […]
Scientists are unsure whether Wellington’s Lesser Short-tailed Bat, New Zealand’s only endemic land mammal, has been extirpated or not. Kevin Hackwell, Forest and Bird Advocacy manager, claims that no recordings of Short-tailed Bats have been captured on their monitoring equipment for several months. However, Briggs Pilkington, acting operations manager for Wairarapa branch of the Department of […]
A population census of the New Zealand Kea reveals a disproportionately male population–which could spell trouble for the Vulnerable species. The New Zealand Kea (Nestor notabili) is the world’s only Alpine Parrot and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Every year a parrot census is carried out throughout the species’ […]
Geckos are translocated to the predator-free Mana Island, New Zealand to flourish and breed in the absence of invasive species. Mana Island, New Zealand is now home to a small population of Ngahere Geckos (Mokopirirakau spp.) which have been relocated to the predator-free island. The native geckos are one of many species threatened by the presence of invasive […]