With today’s announcement that New Zealand is moving its COVID-19 response to Level 3 now, and to Level 4 in 48 hours, we have made the decision to close ZEALANDIA to the public, members and volunteers, effective immediately. This includes the visitor centre, Rātā cafe, and the sanctuary itself.

Our priority at this time is the health and wellbeing of our visitors and our team, and we are making this difficult decision in order to help protect our community. We will remain closed for the next four weeks, as directed in the government’s advice today.

Last week the tuna/eels living in the wetlands and streams at ZEALANDIA – Te Māra a Tāne were captured and released downstream beyond the sanctuary. As part of the Roto Kawau/lower reservoir restoration project, rangers worked alongside mana whenua, Taranaki Whānui, to carry out the translocation. Read on to find out what’s the issue with eels and why we need to do this. 

Spending time in nature helps people feel better, and becoming involved in a local trapping group can give your health an even bigger boost, new research from Zealandia’s Centre for People and Nature shows.

 

Twenty rare Wellington green geckos – also known as moko kākariki or barking geckos – have recently been released on Mana Island as part of efforts to establish a population on the predator-free island. 

Dragonflies are beautiful and live amazing lives but they are in trouble worldwide. 

ZEALANDIA has several species of dragonflies and damselflies and we are playing our part to encourage them. We are currently hosting Ruary MacKenzie-Dodds and Kari de Koenigswarter, UK dragonfly ambassadors, to survey the dragonfly populations found in the sanctuary, and educate those at ZEALANDIA about dragonflies and their freshwater habitat. Ruary and Kari will also be giving a public talk on Tuesday, 18 February.

Every summer, some rivers and lakes around New Zealand turn soupy green, as algae (cyanobacteria) increases in abundance, blooming in the sun-warmed water. In normal numbers, the algae is an essential part of our freshwater ecosystems. When overabundant, some species that bloom also produce toxins which pose a health risk to humans and animals that come into contact with the water.  

I hear the calls, a high-pitched buzzing ‘zipt, zipt, zipt’. Scanning high in the canopy, I spot a couple darting to and fro with their quick movements. These are the elusive tītipounamu/ rifleman, which I’m excited to spot at last since their introduction in March this year, with the help of ranger Kari Beaven. 

We head up a steep slope on the western scarp of the lower lake, and crouch low to observe a nest. Kari says this is the pair’s second nest for the season – and sure enough, I spot the female coming to feed her chicks several times. A quick food drop, then she’s away out again. 

Spring is truly underway, and many of the birds in ZEALANDIA are exhibiting courtship, breeding and nesting behaviour. Here are some things to look out for if you are visiting the valley. 

The takahē are nesting again this year! In the last week of October rangers found Nio on a nest in the wetland and have set out a camera to keep an eye on whether any pīpī / chicks hatch. With an incubation period of 30 days, and a further nestling period of two weeks, it may be some time before we see any evidence of this, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed! 

Takahē make nests among vegetation, with overhead cover to hide it from avian predators. Males and females take turns incubating eggs, with the female typically taking the day shift and swapping with the male around dusk. 

Tītipounamu chicks have hatched at ZEALANDIA, a great start for the hopeful establishment of a viable population of Aotearoa’s smallest native bird in Wellington. 

A tuatara with an amputated tail has recently been released back to its home at ZEALANDIA after treatment and recovery at The Nest Te Kōhanga, Wellington Zoo’s native wildlife and animal hospital.