Ulva Island has 40 new residents this week after a Department of Conservation team successfully transferred 40 common skinks to the pest free island sanctuary. Rats wiped out every species of skink on Ulva Island, before themselves being removed by the DOC run Ulva Island Rat Eradication programme in 1996. Reinstating the island’s reptile fauna is a key step in the ongoing restoration of this island sanctuary.

“Everything looked great yesterday when we popped back to have a look” said Brent Beaven Stewart Island’s Biodiversity Manager. “The real test is how they cope with the wekas which are one of their natural predators”.

The transfer was made possible by a 50 metre by 50 metre enclosure for the skinks that excludes weka. Both the fenced area and the transfer have been funded by the Ulva Island Trust. The 40 common skinks were caught from a variety of sites around Paterson Inlet on Sunday morning.

“Now that Ulva Island is pest free, it is a perfect opportunity to return several lizard species to a 'safe' environment”, said Brent Beaven. “Our progress is being watched by other DOC conservancies and if all goes well then skinks may be reintroduced into other sites nationally which have weka”.

Eight of the skinks were spotted out basking on Ulva Island on Monday, including a number of pregnant females that are due to give birth within the next few weeks.

In the future other skinks could be released on Ulva Island, such as, the Southern and Green Skinks.