Wildlife Conservation & Management in Auckland

Wildlife conservation in Auckland

Auckland has two contrasting models of island and mainland conservation within reach of the city. Tiritiri Matangi is a Hauraki Gulf island where predators were eradicated and former pasture was replanted with native trees, creating habitat for endangered birds. On the mainland, Shakespear Open Sanctuary relies on a pest-proof fence across the Whangaparāoa Peninsula, with regular trapping and monitoring keeping it predator-free while visitors still have open access.

Auckland Zoo shows the funding and veterinary side of conservation. Its Wild Work programme covers field projects for New Zealand and overseas wildlife as well as on-site breeding programmes for endangered animals. The zoo says its Conservation Fund has raised more than $5.2 million for conservation projects. The New Zealand Centre for Conservation Medicine, based in the zoo's vet hospital, provides veterinary care for endangered species such as kākāpō.