Conservation and Research projects At Wellington Zoo we support
a number of conservation and research projects both at the Zoo
(ex situ) and in the field (in situ). Grand and Otago skinks
Wellington Zoo, in partnership with the Department of
Conservation (DoC), is housing and caring for three pairs each
of grand and Otago skinks – some of New Zealand’s rarest
lizards. We hope that these skinks will breed to create a larger
insurance population to conserve them for years to come. Our
partnership with DoC allows Zoo staff to gain valuable field
experience by monitoring wild skinks in their natural North
Otago habitat. Grand and Otago skinks are two of New Zealand’s
rarest reptiles, estimated to remain in just 8% of their natural
habitat and under increasing threat from predators. With no
further protection in the wild, these species are predicted to
become extinct within the next 10 years. The Department of
Conservation has been working on grand and Otago skink recovery
in Central Otago for several years. The d