The West Coast green gecko was spotted in May. Photo: Alexis DEKEYNE
A previously poached West Coast green gecko has been seen alive and well more than a year after being released back into the wild.
The gecko was one of three protected native females illegally taken and held in captivity until they were discovered during a Department of Conservation (DOC) investigation in 2022.
The geckos required life-saving surgery at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University's Wildbase Hospital to remove stuck eggs and after successful recuperation, the trio were returned to their alpine home in November 2023.
In May, a nature photographer saw a striking, bright green gecko on a tree in a West Coast conservation area and uploaded photos to iNaturalist NZ - Mātaki Taiao - to share their observation.
The photo was spotted by New Zealand Herpetological Society president Nick Harker who recognised the unique markings along the lizard's back. A check of previous photos confirmed the gecko's identity.
He said it was amazing to see the gecko alive and apparently well after the ordeal.
Photo: Alexis DEKEYNE
"She and two of her friends were stolen, smuggled to the North Island, kept in captivity and then had major surgery - which is a lot to go through. This gecko species is sensitive to changes in its environment and vulnerable to a range of threats, so we were delighted to see her alive," he said.
"West Coast green geckos have fragmented populations and often live in isolated pockets, so every individual - and especially every female - is important."
DOC senior technical advisor Lynn Adams said the gecko sighting showed the power of citizen science in monitoring and identifying lizards.
"Green geckos live in trees and are highly camouflaged, making them difficult to see and monitor. We love it when people share their observations and photos, which in this case confirmed the survival of the repatriated gecko," she said.
"Photos of lizards sent to us or posted to iNaturalist and other sites have helped identify new species and new populations we didn't know about."
As a result of DOC's investigation, Halcombe man Richard Brosnan was fined $7000 for holding 63 geckos and skinks from 11 different species in 2023.
DOC said the photos showed the gecko with wrinkled flanks - a sign it might have given birth - and a faint surgical scar.
The threatened West Coast green gecko might only breed every two to three years, producing just one or two young, DOC said.
Introduced predators such as mice, rats, stoats, cats and even wasps posed a threat to lizards.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
