Safe house is just wizard for lizards
In dozens of glass tanks, sitting impossibly still amongst the foliage, the Wellington green geckos take in their new surroundings.
Wellington Zoo is the proud owner of a newly-refurbished invertebrate breeding facility, Te Piringa Iti.
As team leader of reptiles and invertebrates, Dave Laux has overseen the project and said its aim was versatility, catering for any species that needed help.
‘‘If there’s a species of skink going extinct behind a pub, we can set up for it.’’
Construction began in 2018. Temperature, humidity and lighting controls mimic the reptiles’ natural environment in the bush.
There are 23 reptiles in the facility now, from five different species, including four Wellington green geckos, some Auckland green geckos, Forest geckos, Duvaucel’s geckos, and tuatara.
The Wellington green gecko, otherwise known as the barking gecko or moko
ka¯ka¯riki, is endemic to New Zealand, its conservation status at risk and declining.
A crowd of about 50 people – including city councillors, iwi representatives, predatorfree groups, zoo board members and staff – gathered to celebrate the occasion.
Neavin Broughton, of Taranaki Wha¯nui, spoke to the group gathered around the standalone enclosure. ‘‘We are so lucky to
have an abundance of nature on our doorstep,’’ he said.
‘‘Green geckos are not seen in our backyards like they once were, and we want to change that.’’
Signs around the enclosure encouraged people to keep their cats inside at night, and create gecko-friendly gardens, with lots of foliage for them to hide in.