Latest news with #TiritiriMatangi
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Endangered New Zealand bird caught fighting ‘at risk' reptile in rare footage
Two of New Zealand's most rare and beloved animals – a large flightless takahē bird and an ancient tuatara reptile – have been captured chasing and nipping at one another during a bush-floor melee. Nick Fisentzidis, a department of conservation ranger on the pest-free Tiritiri Matangi Island near Auckland, saw the takahē attack the tuatara and quickly grabbed his phone to capture the rare footage. 'I saw them having a bit of a nip at each other,' Fisentzidis said. 'The takahē definitely had a go at the tail of the tuatara, and they had a bit of a scrap.' The video shows the takahē in hot pursuit of the tuatara, but the tables turn when the reptile squares up to the bird. 'I followed them down the hill, and the tuatara got a couple of bites in, so the takahē backed off and snuck back away up the forest,' Fisentzidis said. The rotund blue takahē was declared extinct in 1898, their already-reduced population devastated by the arrival of European settlers' animal companions: stoats, cats, ferrets and rats. After their rediscovery in 1948, their numbers are now at about 500, growing at about 8% a year. The tuatara are commonly referred to as a 'living fossil' and are the sole survivor of the ancient reptile order Sphenodontia, which walked the Earth with dinosaurs 225m years ago. They can reproduce past the age of 100 and live up to 200 years, making them one of the longest-living creatures. They are considered 'at risk' and survive primarily on a small number of offshore, predator-free islands. Takahē and tuatara only coexist in two locations: Tiritiri Matangi and Zealandia, an urban eco-sanctuary in Wellington. Fisentzidis said the footage was a 'neat snapshot' of how these species may have interacted in the past. 'It also shows what's possible … if we really start to rally together to bring more of our native wildlife back.'
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- The Guardian
Rare footage shows tuatara and takahē having 'a bit of a scrap' in New Zealand
A takahē and a tuatara have been filmed engaging in a bush-floor stoush in a new video captured by a quick-thinking New Zealand Department of Conservation ranger. Filmed on pest-free Tiritiri Matangi Island, the video shows New Zealand's unique nature at its quirky best and highlights the value in protecting it. Although historically both the flightless bird and the reptile were widespread across New Zealand, they now only coexist in two locations, Tiritiri Matangi in the Hauraki Gulf and Zealandia in Wellington
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Science
- RNZ News
DOC ranger snaps rare footage of tuatara and takahē 'having a scrap'
A takahē and a tuatara have been filmed engaging in a bush-floor stoush in a new video captured by a DOC ranger. The video was filmed on pest-free Tiritiri Matangi Island near Auckland. It started with the takahē seemingly attacking the tuatara, DOC ranger Nick Fisentzidis said. He used his phone to record the footage. "I saw them having a bit of a nip at each other; the takahē definitely had a go at the tail of the tuatara, and they had a bit of a scrap. "I followed them down the hill, and the tuatara got a couple of bites in, so the takahē backed off and snuck back away up the forest." DOC ranger Nick Fisentzidis recalls the encounter. Photo: Supplied / DOC screenshot Although historically both takahē and tuatara were widespread across New Zealand, they now only co-exist in two locations, Tiritiri Matangi in the Hauraki Gulf and Zealandia in Wellington. "It's a neat snapshot of how these interactions may have gone in the past. It also shows what's possible in the future if we really start to rally together to bring more of our native wildlife back," Fisentzidis said. Photo: Supplied / DOC screenshot Tuatara are the last survivors of an order of reptiles known as sphenodontia, that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs, 200 million years ago, but now only survive in places where invasive mammalian predators have been eradicated. The endemic, flightless takahē are a taonga species to Ngāi Tahu. Historically thought to be extinct twice, there are now just over 500 throughout the country, with around half living at sanctuary sites and half in the wild. DOC Takahē Recovery senior ranger Glen Greaves said takahē were often thought to be herbivorous (vegetarian), but in reality they were omnivorous. "This means they'll eat almost anything. Although primarily grass feeders, they will often supplement their diet with insects, lizards, and have even been spotted taking ducklings. Protein is obviously an important part of their diet. "Like their cousins the pūkeko and weka, takahē can be quite predatory. Although taking on a tuatara hasn't been seen before that I'm aware of, it is not at all surprising. Just a bit bigger than their usual snack. It's good to see the tuatara stand up for itself," he said. Tiritiri Matangi Island is regarded as one of the most successful community-led conservation projects in the world, where rare native birds and reptiles thrive, DOC says. The island is open to the public and is just a 75-minute ferry ride from downtown Auckland.
