Auckland Zoo releases endangered Kapitia skinks back into the wild

Friday, 26 November 2021

After taking care of 50 critically endangered Kapitia skinks for five years, and growing their population to about 70, Auckland Zoo released 42 of them back to their native habitat on the West Coast of the South Island. (video first published Novem

Auckland Zoo is releasing more than 40 critically endangered native skinks back to their original habitat in the South Island.

The Kapitia skink is one of 130 species of native skinks and has been on the critically endangered list ever since a small population of 100-200 was discovered in 1992.

Auckland Zoo is releasing 42 critically endangered skinks back into the wild after caring for them since 2018.

Their situation became even more precarious after Cyclone Fehi ripped through the West Coast in 2018, destroying 40 per cent of their habitat. It was then the Department of Conservation called in Auckland Zoo to save and care for the skinks.

“Being able to send these skinks back to their natural range is a big success, a big breakthrough,” said Auckland Zoo’s head of animal care and conservation, Richard Gibson.

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DOC estimates up to half of the skink population was displaced or killed during the cyclone.

Fifty Kapitia skinks were under the care of Auckland Zoo after a cyclone destroyed 40 per cent of their habitat. This pregnant skink is among about 20 staying at the zoo.

Gibson said even before the cyclone, the skinks were “ridiculously threatened” by predators such as mice, cats, hedgehogs, rats, stoats, weasels and weka.

“Cyclone Fehi absolutely devastated that part of the West Coast. Part of what it did was steal away almost half of the [skinks’] known habitat.”

He said the cyclone set “alarm bells ringing” for the Department of Conservation, which asked Auckland Zoo for help.

The skinks will return to a predator-free area, fenced off by the Department of Conservation, near Hokitika.

The zoo received 50 skinks from the edge of a beach in Hokitika that the Department of Conservation was able to save.

Since 2018, Gibson said the zoo has had “great success” in growing the skink population and taking care of them, to the point that some can now be released into the wild.

The breeding programme saw the 50 rescued skinks increase to between 65 to 70 and, after four years, Auckland Zoo is ready to send 42 back to their natural habitat, just north of Hokitika.

The Department of Conservation has purchased a predator-free area for the skinks to return to, complete with predator-proof fence where it is hoped the skinks can “flourish”.

The zoo will hold back 20 females and three young skinks.

Auckland Zoo will release more skinks when they have grown in size, which is a “triumph” in Gibson’s eyes.

There are between 200 and 300 Kapitia skinks remaining in the wild.

The Kapitia skinks, also known as Chesterfield skinks, were only discovered in 1992.

Gibson said the skinks are very different to other skink species, as they have a very flexible, prehensile tail – adapted to gripping objects – which is an “unusual colour”: salmon pink.

The prehensile tail leads scientists to believe that the skinks’ original habitat was among trees, though these had disappeared by the time they were discovered in a dairy paddock.

Like most skinks, the Kapitia skink is able to shed its tail to distract predators and run away, later regrowing their tail.