Rescued geckos released in luxury lizard sanctuary

Tawharanui Regional Park. Picture / Auckland Regional Council

Tawharanui Regional Park east of Warkworth is set to become "gecko paradise" with the release at dawn today of 66 native lizards rescued from the path of a new motorway.

Two species of lizard will be released in a ceremony under Maori blessing to an "open sanctuary" being developed behind a 2.5km predator-proof fence over much of the 588ha coastal peninsula park.

They include 12 threatened Auckland green geckos as well as more common grey and brown forest geckos, all gathered from the 7.5km route of the $365 million tolled motorway extension being built between Orewa and Puhoi.

The geckos are all adults, and they will lead the way for the release in March of 26 juveniles, giving Auckland Regional Council and Massey University researchers time to monitor the health of the seniors and confirm the suitability of their two habitat sites.

Delaying the release of the young geckos will also allow those born in captivity in West Auckland since late last year to grow and increase their chances of surviving in the wild.

Regional council natural heritage scientist Graham Ussher is confident the creatures will thrive in their new home, after years of tree-planting efforts by the Tawharanui Open Sanctuary Society followed by a pest eradication programme.

"With all the pest control and tree-planting and the fact that there is still going to be maintained farmland, it should be gecko paradise," Dr Ussher said.

Rats and stoats had been eradicated, and the geckos would find plenty of insects and nectar from trees such as pohutakawa and puriri, their food supply enlarged by the proximity of open spaces allowing in plenty of light.

Waitakere reptile expert Simon Chapman of the firm Envirologic, who led what was the largest gecko recovery operation ever attempted in New Zealand, said it was a good sign for the newcomers that ground-hugging moko skink lizards were already thriving at Tawharanui.

Even so, Dr Ussher said the geckos were being released in two separate parts of the sanctuary to spread any risk.

One was near a bush walking track where the public would ultimately have a good chance of seeing them and the other was in a more remote location for extra security where young geckos could be nurtured.

He said a number of small artificial shelters had been built for the geckos, but it remained to be seen whether they would use these or prefer to find their own crevices.

Lizards play an important role in Maori culture as kaitiaki - or guardians - of skeletal remains and tribal treasures, and this morning's ceremony will be attended by representatives of two iwi.

This is because they were taken from Ngati Whatua ancestral land and are being released into Ngati Manuhiri territory, leading to a rekindling of relations between the two tribes.

Regional council deputy chairwoman Christine Rose, who camped overnight at Tawharanui ready for the dawn release, said her organisation was pleased to provide a home for wildlife under threat from predators and lost habitat.

Mr Chapman said it was always sad to be involved with developments leading to loss of natural habitat, but he praised the readiness of Transit New Zealand and its road-building partners to face up to their legal responsibilities to protect threatened wildlife in their way.

GREEN GECKOS

* Length: Up to 9.5cm, not including the tail.

* Distribution: North Island, north of Taranaki.

* Habitat: Tree-dwellers, fond of manuka and kanuka.

* Distinguishing feature: The interior of the mouth and the tongue are coloured a rich blue.