Coup for Longevity

A one-month old tuatara has been discovered at Wellington’s Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Zealandia, the first baby tuatara to be seen on the mainland in two centuries. “We are all absolutely thrilled with this discovery,” said the sanctuary’s conservation manager Raewyn Empson. “It means we have successfully re-established a breeding population back on the mainland, which is a massive breakthrough for New Zealand conservation.” Since 2005, 200 tuatara have been released at the Sanctuary to protect them from predators and give them a wider habitat and protection from global warming.