DoC and Transit on joint lizard hunt

An unusual rescue effort has begun involving the Department of Conservation and Transit New Zealand staff.

They are looking for to 50, 10cm-long skinks that are part of a population thriving on a piece of land near the Norton Road and Avalon Drive intersections in Hamilton. The land has been leased out for the past 25 years, but is now being returned to Transit.

The leaseholder must first clear the site of rubbish and weeds where it is likely the native copper skink and Australian rainbow skink are living. The captured skinks will be relocated to a nearby area with a suitable habitat.

All native lizards are protected by the Wildlife Act.

-NEWSTALK ZB