Invercargill tuatara on display again as new enclosure unveiled, named

Seventeen tuatara were held at the Southland Museum and Art Gallery until early last year. Now they will be seen in public again. Photo / Invercargill City Council

• Invercargill’s new tuatara enclosure opens, housing 18 reptiles in a specially designed facility.
• The enclosure features natural habitat elements and enhanced security to protect the ancient species.
• Public viewing starts on Saturday, marking the first appearance of tuatara since their museum relocation.

By RNZ

Invercargill’s new tuatara enclosure will be unveiled and named at an official opening event on Friday.

Seventeen tuatara were held at the city’s old museum until early last year, when they were shifted to make way for its demolition and rebuild.

The reptiles have now been given their own facility within the Queens Park Animal Reserve.

Invercargill City Council parks strategic adviser Chris Bowen said it was a big moment for the community.

“Tuatara are taonga species,” he said.

“These are the species that are the oldest species, they pre-date and are found in fossils up to 180 million years ago,” he said.

A public opening day on Saturday would be the first time the tuatara had been seen in public since they left the Southland Museum and Art Gallery, he said.

Last week, four baby tuatara were found alive and well at the museum demolition site.

The new enclosure can house 18 tuatara, meaning the council will need to look at other homing options for the newly discovered babies.

Bowen said the project team worked closely with the Tuatara Recovery Group involving iwi, the Department of Conservation, species experts and other institutions to ensure the new enclosure was as comfortable as it could be for the tuatara inside.

The facility replicated the natural environment of the tuatara and had logs, water features, and artificial burrows to encourage natural behaviours such as climbing, basking, and digging.

It had enhanced security measures to prevent escapes and protect the reptiles from potential threats.

Mana whenua representative Evelyn Cook, of Waihōpai Rūnaka, said she was thrilled to see the enclosure come together.

“It is such a privilege to have these tuatara, he taoka nō nēherā, a treasure from the past, here in our city and for them to now have their own dedicated facility is a true milestone for our role as mana tiaki.”

The enclosure was designed by Christchurch-based firm Studio4 and built by Calder Stewart’s Invercargill branch.

Studio4′s Matt Sloper said the unique shape of the building referenced the tuatara’s spiny back.

– RNZ