Source: Department of Conservation
We take a look back and count down some of the biggest conservation stories from 2023…
10. Bat counting in Pureora
The pekapeka/short-tailed bat monitoring in Pureora Forest wrapped up for the 2023 season with 219 bats tagged over three nights, surpassing our target of 200, and catching a good mix of juveniles and adults, males and females.
Learn more: www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2023-media-releases/bat-monitoring-a-success-in-pureora-forest
9. Kiwi in a hen house
In December we were notified of a surprise hen house break in up North. Waipapa local, Jane, was checking on her chickens when she noticed the intruder, a North Island brown kiwi, taking a nap next to one of her chooks.
According to Jane, the chickens were surprisingly chill about their visitor and seemed to be open to the new company.
Unique kiwi sightings like these are becoming more and more common in the Far North, all thanks to large community groups undertaking intensive predator control and reviving kiwi population numbers.
You can help kiwi: www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/kiwi/you-can-help
8. Curled up with a good seal
It’s not every day you come home to find a seal curled up on your front porch, but during seal silly season you never know where these adventurous animals might pop up!
This little pup was found taking a nap on the porch of a Wellington family’s home in September. It had been on a bit of a mission, climbing up the seawall stairs, crossing a road, hiking up a footpath, a driveway, and finally another set of stairs, before reaching its nap spot. Our Kapiti-Wellington standby officer was called out to relocate the young kekeno, and took it further around the coast to a safe place away from dogs and traffic.
What to do if you find a seal: www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/marine-mammals/seals/nz-fur-seal/what-to-do
7. Silver for Sounds of Science
Have you listened to any of the *award-winning* podcast episodes we’ve made this year?
Our Sounds of Science podcast offers a behind-scenes-look at how we care for NZ’s native species and natural environment. We won a silver in Climate section at the New Zealand Podcast awards! Thanks to the NZ Podcast Awards! We don’t envy the tough job your judges had.
Check out our podcast: www.doc.govt.nz/news/podcast
6. Cyclone clean up
Extreme weather events earlier this year caused widespread damage to conservation areas, tracks, campgrounds and huts, heritage sites and native species and habitats. Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, and Hawke’s Bay were most severely affected.
By July staff had checked, cleaned-up and reopened about 80% of roughly 500 visitor sites closed for safety due to the extreme weather.
Find out more: www.doc.govt.nz/news/media-releases/2023-media-releases/visitor-sites-reopen-after-cyclone-recovery-work
5. Kākāpō return to the mainland
For the first time in nearly four decades, kākāpō returned to living on mainland New Zealand.
In partnership with Ngāi Tahu male kākāpō were moved from Whenua Hou/Codfish Island near Rakiura/Stewart Island to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.
4. National Wild Goat Hunting Competition
More than 10,000 wild goats were shot for the National Wild Goat Hunting competition. The competition encouraged hunters to target wild goats and raised awareness of the damage they cause to New Zealand’s precious native ecosystems and farmlands.
The competition was a joint endeavour by the DOC and the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association to help raise awareness of the damage wild goats can do.
Find out more: www.doc.govt.nz/news/events/national-events/national-wild-goat-hunting-competition
3. Geckos return to the wild
In November protected native geckos were returned to the wild after years in illegal captivity.
Charges were brought under the Wildlife Act relating to the unauthorised holding of 63 geckos and skinks – from 11 different species. The man responsible was fined $7000 and the animals were released in to the wild or rehomed with authorised keepers, as they couldn’t be released to the wild after being held in captivity for a long time.
2. Air New Zealand partnership extended
DOC and Air New Zealand renewed their partnership to work together for conservation, announcing a further five-year commitment and a doubling of direct investment annually.
Building on more than a decade of collaboration, the renewal will see Air New Zealand directly invest more than $5 million in DOC biodiversity programmes over the next five years including support for the Conservation Dogs programme.
1. Fiordland Kiwi Diaries
Down in the remote wilderness of Fiordland, kiwi are in trouble. Over three years, DOC rangers monitored 34 chicks in the rugged Shy Lake area. Not a single one survived. Most were killed by stoats.
In 2020, we aerially applied 1080 bait in the area for the first time to knock back introduced predators and buy time for kiwi to grow.
Our Fiordland Kiwi Diaries exclusive miniseries follows the work of our dedicated rangers to save the Fiordland tokoeka.
Watch Fiordland Kiwi Diaries: www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/kiwi/fiordland-kiwi-diaries
We’re hoping for a bigger and brighter year for conservation and recreation in 2024!