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Story: New Zealand species overseas

Tuatara for United States zoos

Video file

This 1952 film clip shows two tuatara being readied for their flight to zoos in the United States. They were sent as gifts from the New Zealand government.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: Pictorial Parade 2. National Film Unit, 1952

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

Ross Galbreath, New Zealand species overseas – Early exports, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/video/10070/tuatara-for-united-states-zoos (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Ross Galbreath, published 1 March 2009.