Smuggled jewelled gecko dies
A jewelled gecko repatriated from Germany after an exotic pet smuggling operation was busted has died.
Named Manawa, the moko ka¯ka¯riki (jewelled gecko) has been on display at the Otago Museum in recent years, but was in poor health in recent weeks.
Dr Antony Stumbo, Otago Museum living environments officer, said Manawa was euthanised on November 13.
Manawa was poached from the Otago Peninsula a decade ago and illegally trafficked to Germany.
But the gecko was spotted on Facebook, and is believed to be the first endemic wild animal poached from this country to be successfully repatriated.
He later returned to Otago in 2016, but because of biosecurity concerns Manawa was required to stay in containment at Otago Museum.
This year he received care from the DunedinWildlife Hospital for a variety of ailments.
No specific diseases or causes were diagnosed.
As his age was unknown, his failing healthmay have been because of natural progression. He recently lost interest in food and his continued medical treatments were not proving effective.
In 2011, Dieter Ernst, 56 and Thorsten Richartz, 47, were sentenced in the Dunedin District Court to four and a half months’ jail after pleading guilty to separate charges of hunting protected wildlife and possessing four rare jewelled geckos.