@andyjohnston.wildlife: The Awakōpaka, a critically endangered skink! 🦎 Thank you @Auckland Zoo for sponsoring this video and showing me around the breeding programme for this incredibly special lizard! With only 30 individuals ever recorded, this skink is incredibly unique, so it was an honour to see all the work Auckland Zoo, the Department of Conservation, snd Ngāi Tahu have done ❤️ Found in just a small area in Te Rua-o-te-moko/Fiordland, these individuals where translocated before a mast event. A mast event is when trees produce more fruit than usual, and this occurs around every 2-6 years. This can lead to more native specials getting access to food, but also to introduced invasive predators having more food sources as well. Mast events now result in higher predator numbers, so it was important to translocate these species when they did. And now they are housed in a specialised, climate-controlled facility to allow research and encourage breeding. Which they did!!!! Two females have given birth to live young, the first time ever recorded on camera for this species!!! Thank you Auckland Zoo for letting me help tell these awesome stories, you were all so lovely and kind. Can’t wait to come back again! If you have any questions on the programme or these animals, please let us know! #newzealand #wildlife #sciencecommunication #awakōpaka #lizard

Animal Andy | Creature Teacher

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Region: NZ

Tuesday 26 May 2026 06:57:19 GMT