A conservation project in Jersey has helped return threatened geckos back to their natural habitat in Mauritius, after a number were rescued from an oil spill in 2020.
The lesser night geckos were rescued as part of an emergency response after a bulk carrier ran aground on a coral reef with 4,000 tonnes of fuel on board, causing an ecological emergency.
Durrell Conservation said it had cared for and bred 30 lesser night geckos at Jersey Zoo over the last five years, and was returning 57 eggs to the remote islet of Ilot Vacoas.
Matt Goetz, interim director of zoo operations at Jersey Zoo and curator of herpetology, managed the team that looked after the geckos at the zoo.
He said: “Our team had to replicate the natural habitat for the geckos and provide highly specialised care.
“Every individual survived and the geckos have since bred very successfully.”
Durrell said 88% of its 57 eggs had hatched successfully and that it had plans to replicate the translocation on an annual basis and at a larger scale.
Becky Brewer, CEO of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, said it had done its part to maintain the species for the future.
She said: “The successful return of these gecko eggs to the wild is a hopeful moment in a story that could have ended very differently.
“It shows what’s possible when science, commitment and collaboration come together to protect life on the edge.”
The lesser night gecko is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species.
The initiative was a partnership between Durrell, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation, the Government of Mauritius National Parks and Conservation Service and with support from the Government’s Forestry Service.
Dr Nik Cole, island restoration manager, said the project had provided a “much-needed lifeline for this precious species”.
He said: “Transporting these eggs halfway across the world and having such a high hatching rate is no mean feat.
“For our first repatriation effort, we couldn’t have asked for better results, it’s truly phenomenal.”
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz6g59eeq3vo