Wētāpunga, a giant insect found only in New Zealand and believed to be among the heaviest in the world, is recovering thanks to a 15-year conservation programme. New Zealand's Department of Conservation outlined the results on 2 October 2026, alongside a new paper in the New Zealand Journal of Zoology.
Key facts
Over 15 years, 11,000 wētāpunga were released in 45 translocations to 10 new wild sites, including predator-free islands and fenced mainland sanctuaries.
Auckland Zoo alone bred 8,874 of them between 2014 and 2025, building on early breeding work at Butterfly Creek.
The species' status improved from "Nationally Endangered" in 2004 to "Nationally Increasing" in 2022.
At least four generations have now been born in the wild on Motuora and Tiritiri Matangi islands.
Why it matters
The programme brought together zoos, the Department of Conservation, the iwi Ngāti Manuhiri and community restoration groups, and it now offers a blueprint for rescuing other threatened insects.
Worth noting
The status upgrade dates from 2022; the new paper documents how the recovery was achieved. Wētāpunga still depend on predator-free habitat to thrive.