Subj : Wgtn Zoo caring for some of NZ's smallest, most endangered critters To : All From : News Date : Fri Jun 14 2024 02:06 pm By Felix Desmarais, Digital Political Reporter 10:56am Wellington Zoo has an important new role taking care of some of New Zealand's smallest and most endangered critters. There has also been an exciting new arrival at the zoo, which is based in the Wellington suburb of Newtown. Whitaker's skinks used to be widespread in the North Island and are presumed locally extinct in Wellington, but nine juvenile skinks are being held in human care in a quest to ensure the species' survival. They're being kept in captivity as predators in wild habitats jeopardise their chances to thrive in the natural environment. The zoo is currently home to one-sixth of the Whitaker's skinks in human care. They're now cared for at Te Piringa Iti, the zoo's "state of the art" reptile facility, in climate-controlled habitats where they're given what they need to grow quickly and healthily - all in aid of increasing their chances of living a long life and eventually breeding. "Here at the zoo in this space we've put together 40 new habitats for a programme that we work on with ourselves and two other conservation-based organisations and private holders," the zoo's ectotherms and birds team leader Joel Knight explained. "So we're taking on the nine that we have so far and another nine are due to arrive at the zoo in another couple of weeks. We'll grow the numbers from the 56 that are alive today in human care hopefully to a number that are eligible enough to populate a wild release." Knight said while the Whitaker's skinks were in the zoo's care, it was collecting data on their diet, activity patterns, and environmental preferences. That monitoring would provide invaluable insights into how conservationists could help the populations thrive once they were ready to return to the wild. Why is the Whitaker's skink so rare? The skinks are classified as 'threatened - nationally endangered' by the New Zealand Threat Classification System, and used to be widespread across the North Island before human settlement, habitat disruption and introduced predators. That meant their population dwindled to just two locations - Pukerua Bay near Porirua and Coromandel Peninsula. While Pukerua Bay is the only known local habitat for Whitaker's skinks, the area isn't considered safe for Whitaker's skinks while habitat threats remain. Predator control and fencing measures needed to preserve the area as a sanctuary for Whitaker's skinks aren't yet in place, sparking the need to hold an "insurance population" at Wellington Zoo. Zoo conservation manager Ox Lennon said the zoo's Whitaker's skink recovery programme was a good example of how a progressive zoo could be the best place for conservation projects to thrive, especially where breeding in human care was the best chance for a species' survival and return to the wild. The quest to save Whitaker's skinks is a collaboration between the Department of Conservation, a private holder, iwi groups, and a private conservation organisation. The need for privacy for some is due to the threat from the illegal wildlife trade. Department of Conservation biodiversity senior ranger Brent Tandy said the zoo would bring a scientific approach to the programme to "really unleash" the data and increase understanding of the species. "It's very exciting." A new arrival at the zoo An endangered Wellington green gecko has also been born at Wellington Zoo, for the first time in the zoo's history. The species is notable for its blue mouth and tongue, but is classified as being in gradual decline, meaning the zoo has made efforts to build up its breeding population so it can one day replenish its wild habitats. Knight told Breakfast having juvenile geckos at the facility is exciting for zoo staff who are able to work with the "beautiful" reptiles. "It's invigorating, it's exciting and it brings the passion to our job. It's [also] important to remember this is an incredibly long-lived animal." He said Wellington green geckos can live for 25 years or more, which allows the animal to "give back" to conservation efforts for many decades to come. Knight said their conservation efforts were important because the Wellington green gecko population are susceptible to spiders, beetles and introduced species. "I think it's so important that people get the opportunity to see a species like this." --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A44 2020/02/04 (Windows/64) * Origin: S.W.A.T.S BBS Telnet swatsbbs.ddns.net:2323 (63:10/102) .