Translocation of tuatara
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The story
Tuatara have been 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.
Fifty-six tuatara were translocated into the Sanctuary’s wilds. 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 is especially important as is 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 and planning 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. These ancient reptiles, often called living fossils, will 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 will have the unique opportunity to observe these remarkable creatures up close and learn about their unique evolutionary history and ecological significance.
The arrival of the tuatara is a milestone for the Sanctuary and a testament to our ongoing commitment to preserving New Zealand’s unique wildlife.
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.
What does this mean for us?
The translocation of tuatara to the Sanctuary follows the earlier release of tīeke (saddleback) into the Sanctuary in April 2021, kākāriki karaka (the orange fronted parakeet) and powelliphanta (native carnivorous land snails). Such translocations signal that the Department of Conservation, local iwi and others are confident that we have the necessary bio-security policies, procedures, infrastructure and technical expertise to ensure reintroduced species have the best possible chance of survival and to increase in numbers. This opens the way to further reintroductions, the Sanctuary’s vision is to return a number of species such as kākā, kiwi, and others to the Sanctuary habitat.
What is a successful translocation?
Establishment is achieved when a population has become self-sustaining. Depending on the release environment and species involved, this may take several years and may require multiple follow-up translocations to ensure that the population is large enough, and has sufficient genetic diversity, for long-term stability.
There are many factors that contribute to a successful translocation, among them handling the creatures with care, selecting healthy individuals, minimizing stress and preventing overheating during transport and release.
Now that tuatara have been released into a mouse-free area, maintaining the biosecurity predator-free status of the Sanctuary, and the mouse-free status within the specially built mouse exclosure fence will be essential. There will be ongoing post-translocation monitoring of the tuatara by Shaaleigh Read, a Wildlife Management Masters student from the University of Otago. Post-translocation biosecurity efforts includes maintaining the integrity of the fence, rapid and effective responses to breaches, ongoing monitoring to detect predator incursions and continuing regular Sanctuary-wide pest surveys. While this is already being done, there will have to be greater vigilance from now on.
The translocation process
In November 2024 a specially-trained translocation team of Sanctuary staff, volunteers and personnel from tuatara kaitiaka Ngati Koata travelled to Frans 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.
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
If you wish to make a donation or find out more about becoming a supporter or sponsor of the Sanctuary, please click here
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Ngā mihi nui to Booster Wine Group and @wwfnz 🦎💚
Back in November 2024, generous support from Booster Wine Group ($9,447), WWF-New Zealand ($15,000) and other generous donors who helped make our tuatara translocation possible, returning these ancient reptiles to their ancestral home here in Whakatū Nelson - add with support and guidance from Ngati Koata who are the kaitiaki
Their funding supported key costs such as specialist animal care, transport, habitat preparation and ongoing monitoring for the 56 tuatara now living safely inside our predator-free enclosure at the Sanctuary.
We’re incredibly grateful for partners like Booster Wine Group and WWF-New Zealand, whose commitment to conservation creates a lasting legacy for tuatara and for everyone who visits the Sanctuary to learn about these remarkable taonga. 🌿
Dec 10
🌿 Ngahere Neighbourhood: koru of the mamaku (black tree fern)
Few sights in the ngahere are as iconic as the unfurling koru of a mamaku (Sphaeropteris medullaris). These towering tree ferns can reach up to 20 metres tall, with elegant black trunks patterned by hexagonal scars from fallen fronds.
Their massive fronds can stretch over five metres long, arching high above the forest floor to form a shady green canopy. The stalks and undersides are covered in small, spiny-edged scales — a key feature that helps distinguish mamaku from other large tree ferns.
Mamaku are widespread across Aotearoa, especially in lowland and coastal forests of the North Island and the wetter regions of the South. As new fronds uncurl, the koru shape symbolises new life, growth, and renewal — a form that continues to inspire art, design, and our connection to nature.
🔎 Species: Sphaeropteris medullaris
🟢 Conservation status: Not Threatened
📸 Photo by Rebecca Bowater
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #NativePlants #FernFriday #Mamaku #Koru #NewZealandNature #Conservation
Dec 9
We are proud to acknowledge Ngati Toa Rangitira as kaitiaki of the kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi) now settling into life in the Sanctuary.
Their guidance and mātauranga were central to this year’s translocation — from naming the birds to the ceremony at our visitor centre.
Kiwi pukupuku are a treasured taonga, and we’re grateful to work alongside Ngāti Toa Rangatira and our iwi partners in supporting their return to Whakatū.
Ngā mihi nui to everyone involved in bringing these kiwi home.
Dec 8
📅 2026 Calendars – Now Available! 🌿
We’re excited to share two stunning 2026 calendars, created by local photographers and long-time friends of the Sanctuary — Deb Corbett and Sean McGrath.
Each calendar captures the beauty of Nelson’s wild places — from the native forest and wildlife of the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary to the rivers, ridgelines, and coastlines that surround it.
These beautiful calendars make the perfect Christmas gift — and every purchase supports local conservation right here in Nelson. 💚
Pick one up from our Visitor Centre next time you visit!
📍 Available now at the Visitor Centre
🎁 Perfect for Christmas giving
🎄Check out our other gift options and memberships
Nov 28
🌼 Ngahere Neighbourhood: mikoikoi (New Zealand iris)
With its elegant fans of golden-green leaves and delicate white blooms, mikoikoi (Libertia ixioides) brings quiet beauty to the ngahere. This hardy perennial herb is found from coastal cliffs to mountain slopes throughout Aotearoa and is a true New Zealand endemic.
In spring and early summer, mikoikoi produces clusters of white, three-petalled flowers that give way to striking orange seed capsules. Its leaves often take on yellow tones in full sun, forming dense clumps that help stabilise soil on ridges and banks.
Mikoikoi belongs to the iris family and is one of several Libertia species unique to Aotearoa. There are two species found within the Sanctuary, with Libertia moorae being endemic to Te Tau Ihu (Top of the South). You’ll often find it along the Sanctuary’s sunny forest edges and stream banks — a subtle but beautiful reminder of our native flora’s diversity and resilience.
🔎 Species: Libertia ixioides
🟢 Conservation status: Not Threatened
📸 Photo by Rebecca Bowater
#NgahereNeighbourhood #BrookSanctuary #NativePlants #Mikoikoi #NewZealandIris #Conservation #NewZealandNature
Nov 27
✨ An unforgettable kiwi pukupuku encounter
Sometimes, you just get lucky.
Some of our night tour visitors got the surprise of a lifetime. While admiring the glow worms, the group suddenly heard a male kiwi pukupuku calling nearby. Moments later, one of our visitors felt something gently brushing against her feet.
When the torch came on, there it was — a kiwi pukupuku standing right beside the group.
Even better, someone captured the moment on video.
This curious kiwi wandered off into the ngahere… then strolled back for another look. Encounters like this are incredibly rare, and seeing kiwi confidently exploring the Sanctuary — only months after their arrival in May — is a wonderful sign of how well they’re settling and thriving.
A magical night none of us will forget.
🎟️ Want to experience the ngahere after dark? Join one of our guided night tours.
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Video credit: Carmeli Bitoin
#kiwiencounter #kiwisighting #BrookSanctuary #kiwipukupuku #LittleSpottedKiwi #AotearoaNature #PredatorFreeNZ #NelsonNZ #NZwildlife #ConservationNZ #Kaitiakitanga #NZnature #NatureLoversNZ #NZbirds #Nzmustdo #OnlyInNZ
Nov 24
