New Zealand Wildlife- The High Country (Whenua Waotu)

The High Country- Whenua Waotu
In the harsh landscape and extreme climate of the high country, almost every living thing is unique. The inhabitants of this rugged landscape are well-known for their resilient character. Some remarkably adaptable animals have made the high country their home. People have carved their place in the high country too. Southern Maori created vast track networks during seasonal expeditions to gather valuable pounamu from the West Coast. When settlers arrived, they brought sheep, cattle, deer, and rabbits, altering the landscape forever. The complex links between the diverse wildlife of the high country make this habitat extremely vulnerable to change. In spite of its tough appearance, the high country needs our help.

Kea- The world's only alpine parrot, the kea's intelligence helps it survive and adapt in the harsh alpine environments of the South Island. Kea are intelligent, inquisitive birds, famous for their social nature and cheeky nature, yet they are endangered. Controlling mammal predators is an important part of helping kea, but we can also help prevent conflict with humans by not feeding wild kea when we visit the mountains. These curious birds like to take things apart, including removing nails from the huts around Mt Cook National Park. The Department of Conservation has a program to remove lead nails from huts, to prevent any harm to the kea population. Their strong beaks, perfect for digging out roots and grubs, can also break windshield wipers, destroy rubber seals, undo zips, and even let air out of car tires! In the wild, almost half of all Kea eggs are eaten by cats, stoats, ferrets, and possums. Kea are particularly vulnerable because they nest in holes in the ground that are easy to raid. They need extra body fat to survive the harsh winters, so they sometimes seek alternatives to their usual diet of plants and insects. Some have learned how to feed on the fat of live sheep by cutting through the skin on their backs. Sheep can get infections from these wounds and later die, giving kea a reputation as 'sheep killers'. To reduce sheep attacks, a bounty was placed on kea, and about 150,000 were killed. By the time kea hunting was outlawed in 1986, they had become an endangered species. Today, the population is still declining, with only a few thousand left in the wild. A kea might occasionally attack a sheep struggling in deep snow, or strip the windshield wipers off your car, but kea are a special part of New Zealand's natural heritage that needs- and deserves- our protection.

Kea

Weka- The weka is a flightless bird that lives only in New Zealand, and it's just as feisty and curious as the kea. Weka are fast runners, but not fast enough- they are easy prey for cats, dogs, and stoats. Adults are territorial, whereas younger weka travel widely. One tagged bird transported from Gisborne to Hawke's Bay later turned up back in Gisborne, having walked 130km home! Weka were an important food for Maori and European settlers alike. Large and easy to catch, the weka made a substantial meal. Their tendency to prey on other native species poses a problem for conservation staff. In a sanctuary, weka are likely to make a meal of smaller animals. Weka are now rare in many places where they were once common, and are common in a place they never used to live- Chatham Island. They are protected on the mainland, under threat from a combination of predators and loss of habitat.

Weka

Otago Skink- Active during the daytime, the Otaga skink is quicker and more agile than its nocturnal cousins. It uses hearing, smell, and vision to seek out prey, catching small insects with its long, sticky, notched tongue. They even eat other lizards! Like other native New Zealand animals, Otaga skinks evolved in a world without mammalian predators. When cats, rats, and stoats were introduced, the skinks had no defenses. The Otago skink is now critically endangered. Helped by a captive breeding program, mammal-proof fences, and predator traps, the population is slowly increasing.

Otago Skink

Grand Skink- The grand skink is New Zealand's second largest lizard, growing up to 23cm. It is also one of the rarest reptiles, living in very specific habitats- sheltered crevices in rocky outcrops. The grand skink is extremely well adapted to the cold high country landscape. Surrounded by snow and ice, this skink can still be found basking on a sunny ledge.

Grand Skink

New Zealand has more than 40 species of gecko. In New Zealand, geckos are extremely slow breeding and long-lived. In the South Island, some have pregnancies that last over a year. Some geckos have been shows to live for at least 40 years in the wild. As geckos grow, their skin doesn't, so they shed their skins, including the skin over their eyes. Many geckos feed on nectar from flowers, such as pohutukawa. As they move from flower to flower, pollen rubs onto their chins, and it is shared between plants, This helps to fertilize them. Geckos have broad plates on the underside of their toes. Each plate has millions of tiny hairs with an electromagnetic force to help them cling to smooth surfaces. People have tried to mimic geckos' amazing sticky feet. Products using 'gecko skin' technology include adhesives, sport cloves, rock climbing equipment, and high-grip car tires.

Jewelled Gecko- The color and pattern of a jewelled gecko varies more than any other New Zealand gecko. This vibrant gecko ranges from green to brown- often with white, yellow or purple markings. The jeweled gecko is found in isolated pockets across the Canterbury and Otago regions of the South Island. Jewelled geckos face many threats. Their shrub and tussock habitats are being destroyed, they're killed by introduced predators, and they are poached for sale on the international black market. Fun fact- unlike skinks, geckos do not blink. They lick their eyes to clean them. Also, geckos have tiny hair-like fibers on their feet. This allows them to grip and climb smooth, vertical surfaces.

Jewelled Gecko

Rough Gecko- The rough, or rough-scaled, gecko is only found in the Kaikoura Ranges, on the South Island's east coast. Its name refers to the rough texture of protruding scales on parts of its body. Females are usually green, but males are often grey. Rough geckos are most active during the day, living in manuka scrub and forests. They have slender toes and very long, finely tapered tails to help them grasp tree branches when climbing. They can even hang by their tails if needed.

Rough Gecko

Introduced Wasps- New Zealand has some of the highest concentration of wasps in the world. It's mild climate and abundant food supply provide the ideal environment for wasp populations to explode. The Australian paper wasp came to New Zealand in the 1880s, followed by the German wasp, which arrived with airplane parts shipped here after World War II. The common wasp and Asian paper wasp arrived in the 1970s. Wasps are a problem for many reasons. Introduced wasps prey on native insects in such large numbers that they can wipe out whole communities in one breeding season. Wasps also eat small animals and can even kill newly hatched birds. They damage crops, prey on bee larvae, and compete for food with native animals. In the forests of the South Island, wasps deprive native birds, bats, and lizards of an essential food source- the honeydew produced by a native scale insect in beech forests. New Zealand takes it biosecurity very seriously because of the terrible damage caused by accidental import like wasps. Common and German wasps reach their highest numbers in beech forests. During peak season, the biomass of wasps in these areas can be higher than the mass of all native birds and introduced mammals put together! Wasps can be controlled in a few ways. Poisoned bait is widely used, but it is only effective for one season because new queen wasps create more colonies the following year. The Stout Trust, founded in 1982 through the will of Dr. Stout, supports important research into the control of introduced wasps in New Zealand. Researchers are studying ways to get rid of them via parasites, however, it is a long slow process to develop agents that will attack exotic wasps but not harm the indigenous wildlife.

Asian Paper Wasp

Orange-fronted Parakeet (Kakariki)- This little kakariki was once found in many parts of the South Island. Today it is critically endangered, with a total population of just over 200. Nesting high in beech trees, they feed mainly on seeds. When the beech trees 'mast', producing plenty of seeds, these kakariki thrive. Unfortunately, rats and stoats also benefit, eating the sense and the kakariki. Orange-fronted kakariki have been bred in captivity and released on several rest-free islands, while ongoing works aims to protect the species in their mainland habitat.

Orange-fronted Parakeet (Kakariki)

There are many simple ways you can help to protect the wildlife of the high country. You can avoid spreading didymo (invasive freshwater algae) by cleaning your shoes, fishing gear, and boating equipment after contact with freshwater rivers and streams. You should reduce the impact of climate change by using less electricity, petrol, and plastics. Lastly, you can grow native plants to encourage native birds into your garden. Leave some rocks and logs around for lizards and insects to live under.

Didymo

Conservation:

The Kea Conservation Trust was set up in 2006 to assist in conservation of wild kea in their natural habitat and to increase the standards and advocacy potential of those kea held in captive facilities within New Zealand. The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund is supporting three kea conservation initiatives through the Kea Conservation Trust- a catch trip to attach transmitters and bands to adults and bands to adults and bands to fledging and juveniles, monitoring kea nest productivity and predator impact, and a kea survey that will provide a baseline for local kea population in Matukituki Valley in Mount Aspiring National Park. The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund has also supported the trial of non-toxic surfactant bird repellents, to deter kea from interacting with pest control bait delivery trap systems.

Auckland Zoo is supporting predator control and ongoing monitoring to reduce predator impacts on the western population of Otago skink, endemic to Otago and listed as Nationally Critical. Auckland Zoo's initial investment established a network of traps to provide protection to previously unprotected Western populations, which were thought to be dangerously close to catastrophic collapse and extinction. 

The rough gecko is one of nine species of green gecko and is listed as Nationally Vulnerable- the highest threat category assigned to a green gecko species. The Auckland Zoo Conservation Fund is funding (over three years) a targeted survey for rough gecko, to determine its distribution, threats, management options and conservation status.