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Tuesday 05 March 2024
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Wildlife

New entrant: Wildlife tour operator eyes summer launch 27th October 2023 /

New entrant: Wildlife tour operator eyes summer launch

Fair costs, really good comms, but the length of time… – a hopeful new tourism business gives its verdict on DOC’s consent process.


DOC investigating seal abuse video 26th October 2023 /

DOC investigating seal abuse video

The Department of Conservation is investigating a video allegedly showing a seal pup being harassed and put into a bag.


Otago operator seeks permit to run seal watching tours 25th October 2023

Otago operator seeks permit to run seal watching tours

Clearwater Wildlife Tours has applied to the Department of Conservation for a permit to run marine mammal tours in Central Otago.


Global initiative encourages responsible wildlife watching 25th October 2023

Global initiative encourages responsible wildlife watching

World Animal Protection and World Cetacean Alliance have launched a new global programme for responsible travel businesses and tourists to help them become responsible wildlife watchers.


Drivers urged to watch for threatened bird species 4th October 2023 /

Drivers urged to watch for threatened bird species

The Department of Conservation is urging drivers around Dargaville southeast of Whangārei to be vigilant and slow down if they see wildlife on the roads.


Kea comeback in Nelson Lakes 29th September 2023 /

Kea comeback in Nelson Lakes

Visitors to Nelson Lakes are urged to be on the lookout for kea in the region and report their sightings to the Department of Conservation.


DOC seeks info on sea lion shooting 11th September 2023 /

DOC seeks info on sea lion shooting

The Department of Conservation is seeking information about a shooting that killed a two-year-old sea lion on a Dunedin beach.


Hatchery trials ‘Robo-Kiwi’ to protect birds from dogs 17th August 2023 /

Hatchery trials ‘Robo-Kiwi’ to protect birds from dogs

The National Kiwi Hatchery is among a group of partners trialling a robotic kiwi to help protect native birds from uncontrolled dogs in the wild.


Queenstown’s Kiwi Park tuatara recovering in Dunedin 4th August 2023 /

Queenstown’s Kiwi Park tuatara recovering in Dunedin

Kiwi Park tuatara Merri is on the road to recovery after surgery at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital to remove a large mass under his jaw.


Event explores tourism’s relationship with marine wildlife 19th July 2023 /

Event explores tourism’s relationship with marine wildlife

Tourism operators working alongside marine wildlife are invited to learn about a new way of approaching risk and safety when engaging in such activities.


Millennium Hotels partners with Save The Kiwi 20th June 2023 /

Millennium Hotels partners with Save The Kiwi

Millennium Hotels and Resorts and Save The Kiwi have partnered on a new consumer option to help support native kiwi.


Travellers urged to be aware of seals 14th June 2023 /

Travellers urged to be aware of seals

Travellers are being asked to keep an eye out for fur seals around coastlines and coastal roads as young ones become independent and leave their breeding colonies.


Solar power lights the way for people, penguins in Wellington 9th May 2023

Solar power lights the way for people, penguins in Wellington

New solar lights are being installed along Wellington’s waterfront to improve safety for people and penguins.


DOC’s Bat Hui brings 100 delegates to Hamilton 2nd May 2023 /

DOC’s Bat Hui brings 100 delegates to Hamilton

More than 100 delegates are meeting in Hamilton this week for Bat Hui 2023, an event hosted by the Department of Conservation’s Bat Recovery Group.


Penguin-created art raises funds for charity 27th April 2023 /

Penguin-created art raises funds for charity

King and Gentoo penguins created colourful painted artworks from their footprints and tail feathers on cardboard taken from used boxes.


Call for more protection for dolphins 16th February 2023 /

Call for more protection for dolphins

Dolphin advocates want to see more action to protect Hector’s dolphins after a Department of Conservation report noted the deaths of a mother and calf killed by a trawl net.


DOC extends citizen science seal sighting project into summer 26th January 2023 /

DOC extends citizen science seal sighting project into summer

The Department of Conservation has extended a citizen science project encouraging members of the public to report sighting of kekeno New Zealand fur seals.


Travellers urged to check beaches are dog-friendly before holidays 16th December 2022 /

Travellers urged to check beaches are dog-friendly before holidays

The Department of Conservation is urging people to do their research before heading to the beach with their four-legged friends and check whether the areas they are travelling to are dog-friendly.


Pūkaha releases rare parakeets into the wild 16th November 2022 /

Pūkaha releases rare parakeets into the wild

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre is releasing six young yellow-crowned kākāriki back into the wild today.


Albatross eggs disappear from Dunedin colony 15th November 2022 /

Albatross eggs disappear from Dunedin colony

Four eggs have gone missing from a toroa northern royal albatross colony at Taiaroa Head/Pukekura, near Dunedin.


First tokoeka chick of the season hatches at Haast 29th September 2022 /

First tokoeka chick of the season hatches at Haast

The chick is one of around 550 Haast tokoeka, the rarest type of kiwi.


Visitors urged to give Coromandel dotterels space 22nd September 2022 /

Visitors urged to give Coromandel dotterels space

Beachgoers are putting threatened Opoutere dotterels and variable oystercatchers at risk of habitat destruction near a key nesting site in the Coromandel, says the Department of Conservation.


DOC urges visitor care around native nesting birds 21st July 2022 /

DOC urges visitor care around native nesting birds

The Department of Conservation is asking visitors and their dogs to keep their distance from areas of gravel.


Seven NZ cities sign up for City Nature Challenge 26th April 2022 /

Seven NZ cities sign up for City Nature Challenge

People in Auckland, Hamilton, Hawke’s Bay, New Plymouth, Wellington, Christchurch, and Invercargill are invited to use the iNaturalist app to gather nature observations, find species, and engage others.


Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary marks Easter grand opening 6th April 2022

Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary marks Easter grand opening

Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary will celebrate its grand opening on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 April.


DOC approves penguin removal at controversial development 31st March 2022 /

DOC approves penguin removal at controversial development

The Department of Conservation has granted authority for Kennedy Point Marina Development Limited to capture, handle and relocate kororā/little blue penguin at the Kennedy Point site.


Haka Educational Tours highlights animal welfare in tourism 10th December 2021 /

Haka Educational Tours highlights animal welfare in tourism

Haka Educational Tours will operate in accordance with a new specific animal welfare policy to show its commitment to responsible travel.


Orana Park Tasmanian devil recovers from ‘world first’ surgery 11th November 2021

Orana Park Tasmanian devil recovers from ‘world first’ surgery

A 3-year-old Tasmanian devil at Christchurch’s Orana Wildlife Park has become what is believed to be the first of its kind to get a  full hip replacement.


Do not cuddle the penguins – DOC 22nd October 2021 /

Do not cuddle the penguins – DOC

The Department of Conservation is reminding people not to touch wild blue penguins amid reports of such activity near Napier.


Social distance for people and seals is 20 metres – DOC 26th August 2021 /

Social distance for people and seals is 20 metres – DOC

Seals are coming ashore during the winter season to rest in the Bay of Plenty need to be given space, says the Department of Conservation.


Whio to be released in Arthurs Pass 24th March 2021 /

Whio to be released in Arthurs Pass

Seventeen hand-reared whio, or blue duck, are to be released in the Edwards and Mingha Valley in Arthurs Pass National Park.


DOC calls on island visitors to protect threatened species 15th March 2021 /

DOC calls on island visitors to protect threatened species

The Department of Conservation is urging Motuihe Island visitors to abide by “island etiquette” and protect threatened species on the Hauraki Gulf destination.


DOC, Air NZ transport rare pāteke to Milford Track 5th March 2021 /

DOC, Air NZ transport rare pāteke to Milford Track

The Department of Conservation and Air New Zealand have given Milford Track’s resident pāteke or brown teal duck a boost.


Dogs on holiday threaten wildlife – DOC 3rd February 2021 /

Dogs on holiday threaten wildlife – DOC

Dogs are causing problems for wildlife in refuge areas, including one death of a rare tawaki or Fiordland crested penguin in Haast.


DOC warns visitors following arrival of leopard seal 24th November 2020 /

DOC warns visitors following arrival of leopard seal

The Department of Conservation is reminding people to take care around marine mammals coming to shore this summer after the arrival of a leopard seal on a Taranaki beach.


DOC urges caution to drivers after seal death 11th November 2020 /

DOC urges caution to drivers after seal death

DOC is urging beach goers to drive carefully on the foreshore after a critically injured kekeno/seal pup had to be euthanised on a Christchurch beach.


Gannet Safaris offers first Christmas Day tour 10th November 2020 /

Gannet Safaris offers first Christmas Day tour

Gannet Safaris Overland is offering a Christmas morning tour, a first for the Hawke’s Bay tour operator. 


Christchurch Adventure Park partners to plant ‘Tūi corridor’ 15th October 2020 /

Christchurch Adventure Park partners to plant ‘Tūi corridor’

Christchurch Adventure Park, Meridian, the Christchurch Foundation and Sustainable Coastlines have partnered to plant a ‘Tūi corridor’ of 3000 native plants in a bid to attract the bird back into the city.


DOC warns people handling little blue penguins 13th October 2020 /

DOC warns people handling little blue penguins

The Department of Conservation is warning people about handling kororā/little blue penguins after reports of people in Napier posing images of themselves holding the birds on social media.


Wildlife institutions share $9.6m relief funding 11th September 2020 /

Wildlife institutions share $9.6m relief funding

The country’s zoos, eco-sanctuaries, wildlife parks and rehabilitation facilities will share $9.6m to help them cope with the impacts of Covid-19.


DOC reveals albatross ambassador name 3rd September 2020 /

DOC reveals albatross ambassador name

This year’s Royal Cam toroa/albatross star has been named Atawhai, meaning ‘kindness’ or ‘care’, following record voters in the Name the Chick competition.


Cape Kidnappers gannet tours to start early 28th August 2020 /

Cape Kidnappers gannet tours to start early

Gannet Safaris Overland will bring its season forward after around 6000 gannets started building their nests at Cape Kidnappers.


Native alpine parrot returns to Mt Hutt 26th August 2020 /

Native alpine parrot returns to Mt Hutt

Mt Hutt is celebrating after a kea paid a visit to the mountain, the first to be seen at Mt Hutt in three years.


New data shows promising kiwi numbers at Pūkaha 21st August 2020

New data shows promising kiwi numbers at Pūkaha

12 wild kiwi are alive and well in the reserve, including several pairs.


Govt provides $15m for struggling animal attractions 13th July 2020 /

Govt provides $15m for struggling animal attractions

Wildlife institutions suffering from the impacts of Covid-19 can apply for support.


Rare bat identified at Pūkaha Wildlife Centre 1st July 2020 /

Rare bat identified at Pūkaha Wildlife Centre

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre has confirmed the existence of New Zealand’s long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) in its forest reserve.


Pūkaha breeds New Zealand’s rarest parakeet 20th April 2020

Pūkaha breeds New Zealand’s rarest parakeet

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre has bred New Zealand’s most endangered parakeet for the very first time.


KiwiRail, DOC, NZMCA partner to help endangered kea 6th March 2020 /

KiwiRail, DOC, NZMCA partner to help endangered kea

KiwiRail, the Department of Conservation, and the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association have partnered to help save the country’s endangered kea population.


Real Journeys raises $54k for endangered kārearea 20th August 2019 /

Real Journeys raises $54k for endangered kārearea

Real Journeys Birds of a Feather Conservation Ball raised $54,000 for the country’s endangered New Zealand falcon or kārearea.


Royal cam albatross ambassador in need a name 24th July 2019

Royal cam albatross ambassador in need a name

The annual competition to name a northern royal cam chick at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head is now underway.