4WD vehicle damage endangers rare skink
REEFTON
DRIVERS of fourwheeldrive vehicles at Big River, near Reefton, have put a rare skink at risk by driving over its habitat.
The Alborns skink is part of the speckled skink family and is only found at one site close to Big River, which is offlimits to vehicles.
Monitoring since 2015 has detected 17 individuals and the population is considered extremely vulnerable to extinction, according to the Department of Conservation.
Drivers of fourwheeldrive vehicles have recently turned part of the site into a mud hole and driven over skink monitoring pit covers, which could have crushed and killed skinks.
Trees have also been illegally cut down to make new tracks, destroying the homes of the atrisk forest gecko.
The vandals have also torn up fences, ripped up track, destroyed grassed areas, intimidated hut users, done motorbike burnouts inside the hut, left rubbish, cut down trees, pulled down gates, smashed posts and cut wires and done doughnuts in a contaminated site, which is clearly marked.
Doc senior heritage and visitor asset ranger Sam Symonds said the damage was thought to be related to an ongoing issue of vandalism in the area, and continued destruction of assets and vegetation at the Big River Hut and mine site.
‘‘On average, Doc spends around $20,000 each year repairing damage from what is thought to be just a small number of people, and we’d like to stop them. If people have any information about who these people might be, please contact us at the Greymouth Doc Office on (03) 7680427 or greymouth@doc.govt.nz,’’ he said.
Damage to natural and historic features in a public conservation area is an offence under the Conservation Act 1987 and can lead to prosecution and up to two years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000. — Greymouth Star