Wetapunga talk coming soon

Date posted: 05-Feb-2018
For the Social on 19 March the speaker will be Ben Goodwin of Auckland Zoo, who will talk about the wetapunga breeding programme. The venue is Epsom Community Centre and it starts at 7:30pm. Click here to go to our Events page for more venue details.

The Wētāpunga (Deinacrida heteracantha) once inhabited forests from Auckland northwards and the islands of the Hauraki gulf, but its range was hugely reduced following the introduction of rats. Consequently, for one hundred years, the species was restricted to a single island - Te Hauturu o Toi, Little Barrier island. With the help of captive breeding, its range is expanding once more. This talk will cover the species natural (and un-natural) history, its discovery, its decline, the complexities of its captive breeding, its restoration and what can be expected from it in the future.
Ben Goodwin is a zoo keeper, working on the Auckland Zoo’s Ectotherm team. Primarily, his professional interests are focused on the captive husbandry, breeding and management of insects and other invertebrates.

This will be an 'open' meeting and non-members are very welcome to come along and hear Ben's talk.