Photo credit: Wellington Zoo

A cross-border coalition of enforcement agencies, conservation authorities and transport partners has worked together in an extraordinary effort to repatriate six rare, jewelled geckos to New Zealand – a reminder, on World Wildlife Day, of the importance of global collaboration in the fight against the illegal trade in wildlife.

The Royal Foundation’s United for Wildlife programme supported the remarkable multi-partner project to return the jewelled geckos to their original habitat. The jewelled geckos – iconic taonga species that are native to the South Island of New Zealand – were presumed to have been illegally stolen from the wild before being trafficked through Europe.

From the Netherlands to Korea to New Zealand

The geckos were discovered by Dutch authorities during Operation Thunder, an international wildlife trafficking investigation led by INTERPOL.

Dutch officers found a total of 14 geckos. Since jewelled geckos have never been legally exported from New Zealand, they are believed to have been illegally taken from the wild. Six survivors – two males and four females – were then prepared for a carefully controlled return journey, travelling in IATA-compliant containers with temperature stability and constant oversight.

The trip home involved close coordination between United for Wildlife, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit), the Department of Conservation (DOC) in New Zealand and transport partners Korean Air and SkyTeam.

Once back in New Zealand, the geckos were transferred to quarantine at Wellington Zoo for 60 days before moving to a permanent protected home. Jewelled geckos – bright green with distinctive diamond markings – are classified in New Zealand as being “At Risk, Declining”.

Dr Tom Clements, Executive Director of United for Wildlife commented: “This operation shows what’s possible when airlines, enforcement agencies, conservationists and international partners refuse to let wildlife crime go unanswered. Wildlife crime doesn’t stop at borders, and neither can we. Every successful repatriation is a reminder that collaboration and generosity of spirit from everyone involved, helps keep wildlife where it belongs, in the wild.”

The successful repatriation takes place at a time when poaching for the illegal exotic pet trade continues to threaten many species.