Translocation of tuatara
Watch the documentary
The story
In November 2024, Tuatara were returned to their ancient homeland of Whakatū Nelson. A momentous event for Ngāti Koata Trust, the kaitiaki of takapourewa tuatara, and the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary. 65 Tuatara now call the Sanctuary home with 35 more planned to be translocated in the future.
Fifty-six tuatara were translocated into the Sanctuary’s special mouseproof enclosure area. Each individual was released into a pre-drilled burrow with a unique “house number.” The tuatara were translocated from six different captive source sites from Franz Josef to Palmerston North at:
Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery, Wildbase, Ngā Manu Nature Reserve, Wellington Zoo Te Nukuao, Natureland Wildlife Trust, West Coast Wildlife Centre
This translocation was especially important as it was the first release of tuatara into the wild in Whakatu/Nelson region in over 100 years. This is a significant cultural milestone for the city of Nelson, for the region, and for iwi Māori, particularly for Ngāti Koata who act as the national gatekeepers for this iconic species. We would like to thank Ngāti Koata for supporting for our application to bring tuatara back to Whakatu/Nelson. Ngāti Koata were very actively involved with the translocation of these iconic creatures.
We received a mixture of juvenile young tuatara through to mature adults. They are now living free in our mouse-free exclosure at the Sanctuary which visitors can see as soon as they exit the bridge on the main dam to start the loop track. One of our Tuatara can often be seen sunning himself outside of his burrow.
These ancient reptiles, often called living fossils, add a fascinating dimension to our conservation efforts. Our dedicated team worked diligently to ensure that their new habitat is ideally suited to their needs, replicating the conditions of their natural environment as closely as possible.
Visitors have the unique opportunity to observe these remarkable creatures up close and learn about their unique evolutionary history and ecological significance.
The translocation process
In November 2024, a specially-trained translocation team of Sanctuary staff, volunteers and personnel from tuatara kaitiaka Ngati Koata travelled to Franz Josef (West Coast Wildlife Centre), Wellington (Wellington Zoo), the Ngā Manu Nature Reserve in Waikanae, and Palmerston North (Massey University and the Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery) to collect the selected tuatara from captive populations at these facilities. Some of the tuatara were sourced from Natureland in Nelson.
Our translocation documentary (above) shows the whole story of how the Tuatara were collected and transported to Nelson and the last-minute disruption caused by Nelson airport closing due to bad weather!
What you can do to help
The Sanctuary needs to continue to be predator-free which means high biosecurity vigilance, so we need lots of volunteer help with pest monitoring surveys, we also need donations and supporter fees to help cover our operational costs. Why not join us?
People can help by observing the rule of not walking their dogs close to the outside of the fence of the Sanctuary.
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer, please click here
Financial support
The translocation of tuatara to the Sanctuary would not have been possible without the financial assistance of the following:
The Frimley Foundation, Booster Wine Group, WWF-New Zealand, and a number of private individuals who made donations for this project.
If you wish to make a donation or find out more about becoming a supporter or sponsor of the Sanctuary, please click here