Ngā Manu Nature Reserve shifts six tuatara back to Ngāti Koata

Ngā Manu staff with members of Ngāti Koata and Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai.

Six tuatara have been translocated from Ngā Manu Nature Reserve to new habitat at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary in Nelson.

Ngā Manu’s manager Anna McKenzie Hawea said the move marked a milestone in the collaborative conservation efforts between Ngā Manu, mana whenua Te Ātiawa ki Whakarongotai, and Ngāti Koata, who “entrusted these taonga species to the reserve’s care for the last two decades”.

Ngāti Koata are kaitiaki of the species due to their ancestral links to Stephens Island / Takapourewa in the Marlborough Sounds, home to the world’s largest tuatara colony.

McKenzie Hawea said the programme began more than 30 years ago and has enabled the safe rearing and release of about 1000 tuatara to protected sanctuaries and predator-free sites.

Ngā Manu's Mel Carr with an adult tuatara.

“Due to its success, the tuatara population has expanded in safe habitats across New Zealand, making recent translocations increasingly rare. These returning tuatara represent not only the success of this vital conservation initiative but the deep respect for taonga species in the culture and care of Ngāti Koata.”

Of the six tuatara, two were mature adults who had been part of the long-standing head start programme, arriving at Ngā Manu 20 years ago.

The remaining four are juveniles, born at Ngā Manu in 2017 to parents Droopy and Sam, tuatara from Ngāti Koata’s area.

As part of a larger initiative, representatives from Ngāti Koata and Brook Waimārama are travelling from Palmerston North to Ngā Manu and continuing to Wellington Zoo. Their journey involved gathering a total of 52 tuatara for translocation, all to be released into the protected habitat at Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, said McKenzie Hawea.

“This collective effort highlights the ongoing dedication of these teams to enhance and safeguard tuatara populations across Aotearoa.”

McKenzie Hawea said Ngā Manu Nature Reserve’s commitment to conservation and its alignment with kaupapa Māori underscore the values at the heart of its work. Protecting and nurturing taonga species is a mission integral to Ngā Manu’s role as kaitiaki (guardians) and enhances the natural and cultural legacy of Aotearoa New Zealand’s wildlife.

“Today, we celebrate not only the return of these tuatara to their whenua but also the collaborative efforts that make such conservation achievements possible. It is an honour to support the resilience of these remarkable creatures and to see them flourish as they reconnect with their iwi and new sanctuary.”