More money to help save Otago skinks

More funding will give the Department of Conservation new protection measures for endangered skinks at Macraes, inland from Palmerston.

Otago conservator Jeff Connell told the North Otago Federated Farmers annual conference in Oamaru the Otago and grand skink populations were still declining.

They were found only in Otago, mainly at Macraes and also near the Lindis Pass, he said.

The extra money would make predator-proof enclosures covering tens of hectares, then DoC would be able to monitor areas inside and outside the enclosures to see what was causing the declines.

The Macraes populations were under attack from ferrets, cats and hedgehogs, which DoC was trapping.