What kind of animals live on Project island.
Na: Waekamania
Tuatara / Sphenodon
Tuatara probably have the slowest growth rates of any reptile, continuing to grow larger for the first 35 years of their lives. The average lifespan is about 60 years, but they can live to be well over 100 years old. There are two species of tuatara. One is the Brothers Island tuatara (Sphenodon guntheri, pictured), which, until recent re-introductions to sanctuaries, only survived on North Brother Island in Cook Strait.
Kakapo / Strigops habroptilus
Kakapo can live upto 95 years. Kakapo only breed every 2-3 years, and the previous breeding season was two years ago. In 2014, six chicks were produced: two chicks on Hauturu/Little Barrier Island and four chicks on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island. The kakapo population currently numbers 124 adults. This follows the death last week of a male called Smoko.
Black Robin / Petroica traversi
The mortality rate is high in our familiar songbirds. For robins, it's around 50% each year once young birds have fledged. If a robin survives to midwinter, it lives an average of 1.7 years after that. The oldest robins in your yard might be about six years old, although one banded bird lived almost 14 years. There were only five black robins in the world in 1980, with just a single breeding pair left.
Who is leading this.
Who is leading this.
The project is led by Guardians of the Bay of Islands, Patukeha and Ngati Kuta (resident hapu at Te Rawhiti), and DOC. It is supported by local island and mainland landowners and managers, residents and tourism interests.
The Guardians are also working with the following groups on a complementary mainland pest control project: