New Zealand Department of Conservation (DOC)

Stories

Giant wētāpunga population grows in the wild after 15-year breeding push

Ran the wētāpunga recovery programme

An insect that can weigh as much as a mouse is officially on the rise in New Zealand. The wētāpunga, the world's heaviest insect, has grown from one remnant population on a single predator-free island to thousands across 10 wild sites, after a 15-year breeding programme released 11,000 of them.

Updated Oct 11

Kākāpō population hits 75-year high after record breeding season

New Capabilities

As of September 2026: Runs the Kākāpō Recovery Programme

New Zealand's kākāpō population hit 325 birds on September 1, 2026—the first time the world's heaviest parrot has topped 300 in roughly 75 years. The jump came from a record breeding season: 90 chicks survived to independence and joined the official count.

Updated Sep 3