Photos by Wendy Bown. Written by Jonny Beech. It was a moment worth celebrating for Matakohe Limestone Island, with 450 wētāpunga released onto the island in May 2026. Their arrival marked a momentous milestone for this predator-free reserve in Whangārei Harbour and reflects years of dedication, partnership and belief in what restoration can achieve. Welcoming back such a remarkable species is a powerful reminder that with care and persistence, Aotearoa New Zealand’s taonga can flourish again. Known as the world’s heaviest insect, wētāpunga are one of Aotearoa’s most extraordinary native taonga and are a truly iconic part of our natural heritage. Once found in forests from the Bay of Islands to Auckland, they survived only on Hauturu-o-Toi / Little Barrier Island after habitat loss and introduced predators took their toll. Seeing them re-established in protected places like Matakohe Island is both inspiring and deeply significant for the future of wētāpunga.

Matakohe Limestone Island has recently dealt with a ferret incursion. On Friday September 6th our resident kiwi Sir Ed was found dead in his nest with 2 eggs next to him. The circumstances were suspicious, so a camera was placed facing the nest overnight. Upon checking the camera on the morning of Saturday September 7th, a ferret was sighted visiting the nest and an emergency response was underway immediately. Several different types of lure, traps, and more cameras were deployed at various sites all over the island. A nesting grey-faced petrel/ōi was also found dead in a burrow and the egg missing. On the morning of Sunday September 8th, within 24hrs of its presence being confirmed, a 1.5kg male ferret was caught in a trap. It is unknown how the ferret arrived on the island. To our knowledge, and after speaking with experts around New Zealand, this is the first