Category: Conservation

Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  20 January 2025

It comes after a DOC ranger surveying coastal areas near their original habitat found new populations of these skinks, with one significant site estimated to hold over 22,000.

The release took place on the 15 of January with representatives of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, DOC and Auckland Zoo staff present.

The skinks are being returned from Auckland Zoo, where they have been cared for and successfully bred since 2016, after their only known habitat was severely impacted by coastal erosion. The skinks were flown to Nelson by Air New Zealand and transported to the release site by vehicle.

These skinks live in a unique environment consisting of beach stones or “cobbles” and were believed to be in severe decline, occupying less than one hectare of coastline habitat in 2016. An assessment of the coastline was undertaken to locate a suitable, stable site to release the animals.

At the time, it was thought there were less than 100 left in the wild. Based on this information the species was classified as Nationally Critical and thought to be under imminent threat of extinction with every passing storm.

An emergency rescue salvage of 35 individuals was undertaken in 2016, with six more transferred in 2022. These animals have been cared for by expert herpetologists at Auckland Zoo and bred in the Zoo’s specialist facilities to reach 148 individuals.

DOC Biodiversity Project Lead Kate Simister says, “We are really pleased to have found the situation is not as dire as originally thought. Although significant threats such as sea level rise, coastal erosion and weeds encroaching on their habitat still face cobble skink in the long-term, for now, we can return the captive population to the wild and focus our efforts on in-situ management and protection.”

Auckland Zoo’s Head of Animal Care and Conservation Richard Gibson, says when a small number of skinks were rescued and sent to the Zoo in 2016, they were thought to be the last of their species, so the stakes were extremely high.

“Through a combination of prior experience and evidence-based adaptation, we quickly established a successful husbandry regime under which the skinks both thrived and reproduced.

“Genetic and demographic management plans meant these few animals quickly became the potential source to recover the species and we learned a great deal about their natural history while in our care, things that would help inform their eventual recovery.

“Now we know they’re not quite as close to the precipice of extinction we have the luxury of returning the Zoo population to the wild to reintroduce valuable genetics. We will continue to work with our DOC partners and iwi to plan for long-term security for this species living so precariously close to the edge,” explains Richard.

Ngāti Whātua Orakei representatives said a special karakia at Auckland Zoo for the Cobble skinks ahead of their safe return to the wild. Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae representatives were also there to greet them on their Te Waipounamu arrival.

“On behalf of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Waewae, we are so grateful to be a part of this amazing kaupapa, especially for our tamariki to be involved on this special day,” said Deputy Chair of Ngāti Waewae, Hamiria Ngaamo.

“It is also a great opportunity to grow and continue our connections with Ngāti Whātua Orakei, Auckland Zoo, and Te Papa Atawhai ki Kawatiri, who all have done such an incredible job taking care of these taonga for their safe return home.”

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  19 January 2025

Pod of whales stranded in Golden Bay, DOC and Project Jonah responding

Attribute to Andrew Lamason, DOC Acting Operations Manager Golden Bay

“We had a report come in yesterday afternoon of a pod of whales close to shore near Pakawau.  Our ranger who lives nearby was tracking them.

The pod of whales moved northward and stranded near Taupata Stream.

A large pod of whales had stranded and several were swimming nearby. They are pilot whales and are a range of ages and sizes.

Of those stranded, one passed away very quickly.

Our team and Project Jonah volunteers were out with the whales until dark last night. This includes several Project Jonah medics, their help is always greatly appreciated.

DOC Rangers and Project Jonah volunteers have been at the site from first light this morning. Gusty easterly winds are not making things easy.

We will be looking after the remaining whales until the tide turns around 2 pm. We will attempt to re-float them at high tide.”

Whale stranded in New Brighton, Christchurch has been re-floated

Attribute to Andy Thompson DOC Mahaanui Operations Manager

“We received a call around 4:30 pm yesterday of a dolphin stranded in New Brighton.

Local iwi Ngāi Tūāhuriri, DOC, and Project Jonah responded.

It is likely to be a young or juvenile Cuvier’s beaked-whale or an even rarer Gingko whale. Both are deep water species.

At 5:40 pm Project Jonah staff had the whale secured and pointing out to sea. The whale swam out, so it was a successful re-float.

The whale was seen later in the evening, just out behind the breakers.

It is a young and vulnerable whale and we are very hopeful of a successful outcome but we are very mindful it is likely we will see it again somewhere else along the coast.

We would ask the public to report any sightings of the whale to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).”

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  17 January 2025

Two well-equipped and experienced DOC rangers and a hut warden were in the right place at the right time to help a hiker who got into trouble near Maniniaro/Mt. Angelus in the Nelson Lakes National Park.

The rescue is a reminder of the importance of always carrying equipment and a PLB when in the backcountry, even for short trips after reaching the hut.

The rangers were camping in the area while carrying out kea monitoring work when they heard someone calling for help at about 9 pm on Tuesday night, just after heavy fog rolled into the area with a southerly change. They tried to find where the calls were coming from, moving carefully in the bad weather.

After about two hours, realising the person calling hadn’t moved location during that time and fearing they were injured, the rangers set off a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) and reached DOC staff via radio so Police could be alerted.

At the same time, a hiker staying in Angelus Hut saw an empty bunk and recalled passing a woman on the north ridge of Maniniaro/Mt. Angelus, so alerted the hut warden.

The rangers, hut warden, and the hiker who alerted the warden carried out a coordinated search until about 1 am, but weren’t moving far because of the fog. The poor conditions forced the search to pause until first light.

Ricki Mitchell moving carefully through the fog during the Maniniaro Mt. Angelus rescue on Wednesday morning
Image: DOC

Early on Wednesday morning, the four people searching resumed the coordinated search in the fog. After a few hours, they found the hiker on the edge of some bluffs below the north ridge of Maniniaro/Mt. Angelus but couldn’t get to her.

The hiker was not hurt but was cold and wet, as she had left most of her tramping gear at Angelus Hut.

In the meantime, two LandSAR Teams assembled but could not fly in by helicopter due to the weather conditions, so were preparing to travel across Lake Rotoiti by boat and then head in on foot. 

The rangers tried a different route and made their way carefully down to the hiker’s position. They warmed her up and walked her back up to the ridge and down to Angelus Hut. The weather conditions remained poor throughout the day and with the steep terrain, the recovery took until mid-afternoon.

The SAR teams were stood down just before being deployed as it became clear the two rangers had the situation in hand.

After a night in Angelus Hut, the rangers and the hiker walked out together on Thursday.

Ricki Mitchell, one of the rangers involved, says they were determined to find the hiker and it was an amazing moment to get her back.

“The lesson to be learned is if you’re going out, even for a short trip from the hut, tell someone your intentions and make sure you’re carrying good equipment, including a PLB and headtorch, at all times. The conditions just change up there so quickly.

“Having the right gear and technology like GPS made a real difference, knowing we had everything we needed to be safe. When you’re up there traversing scree and navigating drop-offs and can only see a few metres, it’s pretty intense.

“We were lucky it worked out the way it did, given the horrendous weather. If she had to stay out another night, there was a real risk of hypothermia.”

She says the rescue was a team effort, with everyone involved working closely together and communicating well.

DOC’s Nelson Lakes Operations Manager John Wotherspoon says the hiker was in challenging terrain, and it was fortunate there were competent and experienced DOC field staff in the area who could safely get to the woman to rescue her without putting themselves at undue risk.

“Nelson Lakes National Park has alpine conditions right from the carpark and the weather can change quickly, so its crucial hikers check weather forecasts and carry warm waterproof clothes, food, headtorches and a PLB at all times.”

Anyone heading into the backcountry is reminded to follow the Land Safety Code, which has five simple rules to help keep people safe:

1. Choose the right trip for you.
2. Understand the weather.
3. Pack warm clothes and extra food.
4. Share your plans and take ways to get help.
5. Take care of yourself and each other.

More information on the Land Safety Code.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  14 January 2025 Source:  Department of Conservation and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Without a serious turnaround, scientists predict hoiho could become locally extinct on the mainland within two decades.

Seasonal (2024/25) nest counts across coastal Otago, Southland, and Rakiura show numbers are substantially down compared to previous years, with an ongoing decline of 80% since 2008/09.

Nest numbers are only part of the picture, the higher concern is there are currently less than 100 yellow-eyed penguin chicks on Stewart Island and mainland New Zealand, and of these there is no guarantee of their long-term survival.

As long-lived seabirds, hoiho have a low reproductive rate and low juvenile survival. Of the chicks that will shortly fledge, it is expected that less than 20% of these individuals will survive to adulthood.

Declining mainland hoiho numbers point to multiple threats including disease, introduced predators, human disturbance, a significant shift in adult diet, fisheries bycatch, and marine predation.

“Work to save this taonga species includes predator control, monitoring nests, disease and injury treatment, starvation interventions and planting of native vegetation to restore hoiho habitat,” says Aaron Fleming, DOC Southern South Island Director of Operations.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu hoiho recovery representative Puawai Swindells-Wallace has visited nesting sites from Waitaha down to Rakiura and seen first-hand the hard mahi conservation rangers and volunteers are doing to try to save this species from extinction.

“We have some really good people on the ground, but with such a large range to cover, it is extremely challenging,” says Puawai.

“Hoiho are a taonga species for Ngāi Tahu and it is unthinkable that we could lose them – we don’t really know what impact that could have on the whole ecosystem.

“We need to collectively increase our capacity to support the hoiho to regain their rightful place on our beaches and in our moana.”

They were coined ‘the people’s penguin’ and won the Bird of The Year competition in 2019 and 2024, but recent mainland hoiho/yellow-eyed penguin nest counts have experts worried.

The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust recently appointed Anna Campbell to lead the organisation, with a focus on innovation to accelerate restoration of coastal ecosystems.

“Nest and chick numbers are critically low on mainland New Zealand,” says Anna. “Now is the time to come together, be bold and brave – collaborating can enhance our potential to protect the hoiho.”

“We are committed to a future where hoiho thrive in the natural environment.”

The Hoiho Governance Group includes DOC, Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust (YEPT), Ngāi Tahu, and Fisheries New Zealand, working together to implement Te Kaweka Takohaka mō te Hoiho – a strategy for pulling hoiho back from the brink of extinction.

The Governance Group relies on the support of everyday New Zealanders to do this. If you want to know how to help, please get in contact with one of the above partners.

Background information 

The Department of Conservation, Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust, Wildlife Hospital Dunedin, Penguin Rescue, Penguin Place and other groups, are all working together (for the above-mentioned predator control, monitoring nests, disease and injury treatment, starvation interventions and planting of native vegetation to restore hoiho habitat).

‘Northern’ hoiho population

Best current estimates of nests/breeding pairs across the ‘northern’ population of hoiho including the mainland and Rakiura:

2008/09:739
2020/21: 232
2021/22: 219
2022/23: 195
2023/24: 163
2024/25: 143

Southern/subantarctic hoiho population

In 2017, an estimate of 570 breeding pairs was made for the Auckland Islands. This was consistent with an estimate made in 1989 of a minimum of 520 breeding pairs. 

There are no recent estimates for the Campbell Island population. The last estimate was in 1992 of about 350 – 460 breeding pairs.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  09 January 2025

A concerned member of the public reported the incident, which happened around 12 pm on Friday, January 3.

DOC Hauraki Operations Manager Avi Holzapfel is dismayed by the report of harm to wildlife.

“It’s extremely frustrating and distressing to hear about this kind of wilful mistreatment of wildlife,” says Avi. “We’re very grateful to the person who reported this to us for their continued assistance.

“So far, we have images of the vessel alleged to be involved, and have made enquiries with local marinas and databases to identify its owner.

One of the boats sought to aid the investigation.
Image: Supplied

“We are keen to speak with people on board two vessels pictured seen in the area at the time, one of which bears the name ‘Dad & Me’, and any other members of the public who may have witnessed the incident.”

If anyone has more information they can provide about this incident, please contact the DOC HOT line on 0800 362 468 or wildlifecrime@doc.govt.nz, quoting CLE Incident CLE-8275.

Many seabirds are classified as absolutely protected under the Wildlife Act 1953. Hunting or killing absolutely protected wildlife can result in penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.

Update: Police have now spoken to people on the other vessel, and are confident they are not involved and do not know those on the suspected offending vessel.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  09 January 2025

The juvenile/subadult dolphin, which was travelling with a fully grown dolphin, was first reported to DOC’s hotline on 29 December.

DOC Operations Manager, Kirsty Prior, says the team located the dolphin and its companion at 12:50 pm yesterday.

“The disentanglement team were able to get a working line with grapnel and floats on the animal. This allowed the team to bring the dolphin close to the boat and work carefully with specialist knives to cut it free by 1:54 pm.

“We monitored the area for several hours and can confirm the dolphin is free of the entanglement and swimming strongly.

“It will now likely take time to heal and rest after before moving out of the area. Please give the dolphins space during this time.

“We would like to thank everyone who called the hotline, the public were vital in helping our team do their job successfully”, says Kirsty.

Jocelin Friend from Te Kawerau ā Maki welcomed the invitation to be on the vessel and see the disentanglement take place.

“Te Wai Roa ō Kahu and Rangitōpuni awa are our ancestral waterways. Our duty as kaitiaki is to ensure our taonga species are treated with utmost care.

“I was impressed with how the team worked together swiftly, carefully and in respect of tikanga Māori to safely free the dolphin”, says Jocelin.

A reminder to everyone to stay vigilant on the water and keep their distance from marine mammals and to report any sightings to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 36 24 68).

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  08 January 2025

DOC Operations Manager Whakatipu, David Butt, says the temporary site will be convenient and closer to most of the district’s extensive visitor network.

“These two weeks are some of the busiest we get for visitors,” says David.

“Glenorchy is a gateway to the area’s most popular day and multi-day hikes including the Routeburn Track, Greenstone/Caples Track and Dart/Rees Valley, making it a busy place for visitors wanting to get out and experience nature.

“We always want to figure out the best way to serve Whakatipu visitors, so we’re also keen to see how well the temporary site is received.

“The visitor centre in Queenstown (50 Stanley St) will be closed during this period, as staff will be based in Glenorchy. There will be notices on the doors to advise people of the temporary Glenorchy location and contact phone numbers for enquiries.”

The pop-up visitor centre will be run from the former Glenorchy Café on Mull Street and provide DOC information and services.

People checking in for the Routeburn Great Walk from 13-26 January will need to do so when they arrive in Glenorchy.

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Source: Department of Conservation

Date:  07 January 2025

The juvenile/subadult dolphin, which is travelling with a fully grown dolphin, was first reported to DOC’s hotline on 29 December. It was observed entangled in a fishing net in the Western Waitemata Harbour.

DOC staff have been monitoring the dolphins in the Riverhead Herald Island area, and although they have appeared calm, the positioning of the net may limit the entangled dolphin’s movement and ability to dive.

DOC’s specialist marine mammal disentanglement team is assembling and preparing to intervene. There is added difficulty due to the dolphin’s companion animal, and careful planning is required to ensure a safe outcome for both animals.

What you can do if you spot the dolphin

• Call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 36 24 68) immediately with the dolphin’s location and behaviour.
• Stay at a safe distance to monitor the dolphin without causing distress.
• Boaties should avoid approaching the dolphin or attempting to remove the entanglement, as it can endanger both the dolphin and those involved.

“It’s vital to locate this dolphin as soon as possible,” says Kirsty Prior, DOC Operations Manager. “The safety of both the animal and people responding to its distress is our top priority. Entangled marine mammals face significant risks, and careful planning is needed to ensure the best outcome.”

Entanglement in fishing gear and marine debris is a growing threat to marine life. DOC urges fishers and boaties to minimise floating slack lines when setting fishing gear and to dispose of waste and old gear responsibly to prevent marine debris.

DOC has a specialist marine mammal disentanglement team trained to safely free entangled animals using internationally recognised best practices. “Entanglements like this happen one to two times a year around New Zealand,” says Kirsty. “We have the skills, equipment, and experience to respond, when necessary, but locating the animal is the first crucial step.”

While disentanglement procedures are primarily designed for larger marine mammals like whales, DOC will assess and adapt its approach for this entangled dolphin. DOC teams are equipped with specialist tools and follow strict protocols to ensure safety for both the marine mammal and rescuers.

The last reported sighting was yesterday afternoon by the Huapai Golf Course at the edge of Waitemata Harbour. Anyone spotting the dolphins should call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 36 24 68) immediately with the location and dolphin’s behaviour.

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