This tuatara, which has just emerged from its egg, is part of a captive rearing programme at Victoria University in Wellington. Captive breeding allows conservationists to build up the populations of threatened species. The animals can then be used to re-populate reserves (often on islands) where mammalian predators have been wiped out. Captive breeding is rarely straightforward, and it has taken decades to work out methods that are reliable for species such as tuatara.
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
Victoria University of Wellington
by Susan Keall
This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.