Invercargill Opens New Enclosure for Tuatara at Queens Park

• Invercargill’s new tuatara enclosure, named Tuatara Island, officially opened on Friday.
• The enclosure replicates tuatara’s natural environment, ensuring they can thrive.
• The facility is expected to attract both locals and visitors, enhancing Invercargill’s appeal.

Invercargill’s highly anticipated new tuatara enclosure, named Te Moutere – Tuatara Island, was formally opened on Friday. Representatives from Ngāti Koata, Te Ātiawa, the Department of Conservation, key stakeholders, Invercargill City Councillors, and staff attended the ceremony. The name Te Moutere references the tuatara’s ancestral homelands of two isolated islands at the top of the South Island. Related: Fifth Baby Tuatara Discovered at Invercargill Museum Site

“The new enclosure is a place where the tuatara can truly thrive,” said Invercargill City Council Parks Performance Manager Kate Gough. “The process we have undertaken to develop this facility has been a wonderful experience in strengthening our relationships with our key iwi partners. It has involved our Council teams and the Department of Conservation working alongside Ngāti Koata, Te Ātiawa, and mana whenua, and it is fantastic to see representatives from all of these parties here today.”

Councillor Grant Dermody officially opened the facility, acknowledging its appeal for both locals and visitors. “The facility is set to become an exceptional asset for Southland and the tuatara are an important taonga for the city and this facility enhances our guardianship of them,” he said. “We are creating assets that are not only engaging experiences for locals to be proud of but also attractions for visitors coming to our region and staying here to explore.”

Attendees enjoyed the enclosure’s expansive viewing windows to spot the tuatara in their new home. “The enclosure has been thoughtfully designed to encourage natural behaviour such as climbing, basking, and digging. It includes a hospital bed for specialist care and burrows for the tuatara to retreat to,” Gough said. The building was designed by Christchurch-based architectural firm Studio4.

Seventeen tuatara were held at the city’s old museum until early 2023, when they were relocated to make way for its demolition and rebuild. They now have a dedicated facility within the Queens Park Animal Reserve. Invercargill City Council parks strategic advisor Chris Bowen remarked on the significance of the project for the community. “Tuatara are taonga species,” he said. “These are the species that are the oldest species, they pre-date and are found in fossils up to 180 million years ago.”

A public opening day on Saturday will be the first time the tuatara have been seen in public since they left the Southland Museum and Art Gallery. Last week, four baby tuatara were found alive and well at the museum demolition site. While the new enclosure can house 18 tuatara, the council will need to explore other homing options for the newly discovered babies.

The facility, featuring logs, water features, and artificial burrows to replicate the tuatara’s natural environment, was designed by Studio4 and constructed by Calder Stewart’s Invercargill branch.