2025 media releases

Date: 11 November 2025
The next steps in an ambitious plan to eliminate all pests from Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park will begin later this month.

Date: 08 November 2025
Source: Office of the Minister for Hunting and Fishing
New Zealanders will soon be able to have their say on plans to manage sika and wapiti deer as the country’s first two Herds of Special Interest (HOSI), Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has confirmed.

Date: 07 November 2025
Good progress has been made on repairs to Great Walks but avalanche conditions continue to cause delays, the Department of Conservation says.

Date: 06 November 2025
The first pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel chicks of the breeding season have hatched on Rakiura/Stewart Island.

Date: 04 November 2025
Source: Department of Conservation and American Bird Conservancy
A Salvin’s albatross has returned to the wild after successfully recovering from life-saving surgery.

Date: 01 November 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation and Office of the Minister for Tourism and Hospitality
Two destination-making cycle trails will deliver more visitors to the Ruapehu region and boost the Central North Island economy.

Date: 31 October 2025
Hikers are being warned of track damage, heavy snow, avalanche risk and further disruptions to the start of the summer Great Walk season.

Date: 30 October 2025
Some last less than a weekend, some much longer, but Department of Conservation signs are increasingly targets for vandals.

Date: 29 October 2025
A call has gone out to locals in the Mackenzie basin to help spot kakī/black stilts, one of New Zealand’s rarest native birds, and record any sightings.

Date: 28 October 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Government is backing the biggest step in a generation to restore the Hauraki Gulf / te Pātaka kai a Tīkapa Moana / Te Moananui-ā-Toi.

Date: 28 October 2025
DOC staff on the West Coast are urging locals and visitors to exercise care when out naturing, after severe weather has damaged many sites in the region.

Date: 22 October 2025
Source: Waikato-Tainui and University of Waikato
The five recipients of the Pokaia Nepia and Taki Turner Scholarships presented by the University of Waikato have been announced, representing a number of marae across the Waikato rohe.

Date: 22 October 2025
Work to progress a new Conservation Management Strategy (CMS) for the West Coast has been paused as the government works through the next steps for legislative reform.

Date: 21 October 2025
From Saturday 25 October 2025, new marine protection areas take effect across the Hauraki Gulf. DOC is responsible for managing and monitoring these 19 new protected areas, located across the wider Gulf including to the east of the Coromandel peninsula.

Date: 21 October 2025
Giant land snails in the lower North Island Ruahine Forest Park are getting a much-needed break from being eaten alive by possums.

Date: 21 October 2025
Tasman’s waterways have been cleared of all known infestations of the pest fish rudd, following more than two decades of work.

Date: 17 October 2025
Reported incidents of dogs attacking protected wildlife are increasing, newly released DOC data has revealed.

Date: 17 October 2025
DOC is excited to celebrate the launch of a beautiful new children’s book that brings one of Aotearoa’s rarest native birds to life, the tara iti (NZ fairy tern).

Date: 16 October 2025
A Tasman man whose two dogs attacked a kekeno/fur seal for about 30 minutes has been fined $2000 and was ordered to have his dogs destroyed.

Date: 16 October 2025
The last toroa/northern royal albatross chick of the season has set off from Pukekura/Taiaroa Head, wrapping up the most successful season on record.

Date: 15 October 2025
Predator control on Rakiura/Stewart Island has successfully cleared out feral cats from important pukunui/Southern New Zealand dotterel habitat in time for the breeding season.

Date: 15 October 2025
A new DOC cadet programme will see regular intakes of new rangers get on-the-job experience to thrive in a conservation career and make a difference for nature from day one.

Date: 14 October 2025
Scientists from Bioeconomy Science Institute and DOC aim to understand the mysterious movements of koekoeā/long-tailed cuckoo when they start research in Pureora Forest this month.

Date: 09 October 2025
The Milford Track summer Great Walk season will be delayed by two weeks due to spring avalanche damage.

Date: 08 October 2025
DOC says it’s very pleased with the positive attitude and compliance from whitebaiters around the region, after checking rivers yesterday in a joint operation with other agencies.

Date: 08 October 2025
There are glimmers of hope for New Zealand’s brightest native bird – the mohua/yellowhead – although its survival hangs in the balance at many sites, recent monitoring results show.

Date: 07 October 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Parliament’s passing of the Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act has ushered into law a bold new era of marine protection for one of our most majestic seascapes, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 07 October 2025
DOC is asking the public to come forward with any information that would help with its investigation into the death of a little blue penguin/kororā on Sunday, 28 September.

Date: 03 October 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka is pleased to announce new and returning appointments to two conservation bodies, promoting conservation investment on private and Māori land.

Date: 02 October 2025
Source: Kaipara Moana Remediation
Kaipara Moana Remediation has signed an agreement with DOC which will environmentally benefit waterways around Auckland.

Date: 01 October 2025
A Christchurch man has been issued with an $800 infringement fine after he attempted to remove artifacts from the historic Denniston Mine near Westport in June 2025.

Date: 01 October 2025
DOC has confirmed the pricing structure for car parks at Dolomite Point, Punakaiki and Franz Josef/Waiau as part of a paid car parking pilot this coming summer.

Date: 01 October 2025
A popular Whakatipu walking track and gateway to the southwest Otago backcountry now has full access restored with the opening of the brand-new Sylvan Bridge.

Date: 30 September 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
A $6 million investment into the Raukūmara Pae Maunga restoration project will fortify local employment and iwi-led conservation against destructive pests, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 30 September 2025
Source: Department of Conservation and Ministry for Primary Industries
The public are being encouraged to have their say on protections in place to preserve the nationally important Kaikōura coastal and marine area.

Date: 29 September 2025
Historic Rooney's Hut at Big River, inland from Reefton on the South Island's West Coast, has recently undergone major work to protect this landmark at the historic mine site.

Date: 25 September 2025
A regular beach rubbish survey on the West Coast is revealing low levels of rubbish on the region’s beaches compared to other parts of the country.

Date: 24 September 2025
A new strain of canine distemper virus has been found in New Zealand fur seals (kekeno). Researchers are working to understand its potential impact.

Date: 24 September 2025
Hector’s dolphins in Akaroa Harbour will benefit from new daily limits for permitted dolphin viewing and swimming trips.

Date: 24 September 2025
DOC has released a pricing proposal for a paid car parking pilot this coming summer at White Horse Hill car park at Aoraki/Mount Cook.

Date: 19 September 2025
A new network of DOC tracks, showcasing recent mining heritage, will open on the West Coast tomorrow, in time for the school holidays.

Date: 22 September 2025
A stoat that seemingly swum to predator-free Oruawairua/Blumine Island has been caught in a trap, showing the value of permanent trap networks on predator-free islands.

Date: 17 September 2025
A vulnerable population of nationally endangered bats will be given a lifeline by stopping a predicted plague of predators.

Date: 16 September 2025
DOC plans to increase predator control in South Island beech forests as forecast mass seeding this summer puts vulnerable native wildlife at high risk from introduced predators.

Date: 15 September 2025
Defying the odds in a country where 90 per cent of seabirds are threatened with extinction, the feisty Westland petrel is hanging on in its colony near Punakaiki on the South Island’s West Coast.

Date: 11 September 2025
A dolphin has been found decapitated on a beach north of Kaikōura, and DOC staff want to know what happened.

Date: 10 September 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation and Office of the Minister of Land Information
A public reserve will finally be established on the iconic Miramar Peninsula – Te Motu Kairangi in Wellington, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka and Land Information Minister Chris Penk have announced.

Date: 08 September 2025
The annual Matuku Muster has returned for its second year.

Date: 05 September 2025
An initiative to bring together sea lion enthusiasts and supporters from around New Zealand will be held Saturday 13 September 2025 at Tūhura Otago Museum.

Date: 03 September 2025
Work is underway at the Hahei Beach Short Walk to remove 16 invasive conifers as the track reinstatement project clicks up a gear.

Date: 03 September 2025
DOC is repairing a popular Dunedin track with the aim to have it reopened in time for the busy summer visitor season.

Date: 03 September 2025
There may be more than 695 billion living things in Aotearoa, but some of the rarest need our help.

Date: 02 September 2025
From a young age, Dave Rogers was destined to work on Taranaki Maunga. This 50-year conservation hero and veteran will retire in February.

Date: 02 September 2025
New research released by DOC today reveals New Zealanders care deeply about nature and want to help but aren’t aware of the scale of challenges nature is up against.

Date: 01 September 2025
After 50 years in the sector, veteran conservation professional Ray “Scrim” Scrimgeour reckons there are four things every ranger needs.

Date: 01 September 2025
New Zealanders woke up to a new population overnight and it might come as a massive surprise.

Date: 29 August 2025
A competitive process for farming and other commercial opportunities in Rangitahi/Molesworth Recreation Reserve will open for expressions of interest later this year.

Date: 28 August 2025
The dead stoat unexpectedly found on stoat-free Rakiura/Stewart Island last month was likely transported there from the mainland, DOC says.

Date: 27 August 2025
193 Māhoenui giant wētā were translocated from Ōtorohanga Kiwi House to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari today.

Date: 26 August 2025
One of New Zealand’s most threatened bird species will have a better chance at breeding this year following the completion of an aerial predator control operation last week.

Date: 21 August 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Government has moved a step closer to nearly tripling marine protection for the beautiful Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana that will help restore precious biodiversity while enabling New Zealanders to benefit for generations.

Date: 20 August 2025
An internationally significant research trial carried out by DOC shows vaccination can safely be used to protect some of our most threatened birds from virulent bird flu, should it arrive here.

Date: 20 August 2025
As whitebaiting season kicks off, two passionate advocates are sharing their story to remind river-goers to put safety first.

Date: 19 August 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The latest New Zealand Conservation Authority and Conservation Board appointments will help to strengthen environmental efforts across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Date: 19 August 2025
Visitors can now book the iconic Waihohonu and Mangatepopo huts and experience a summer taster of the Tongariro Northern Circuit while Oturere Hut is rebuilt.

Date: 19 August 2025
DOC staff are investigating after a litter of seven puppies was found dumped in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki earlier this month.

Date: 19 August 2025
Ready to branch out from business as usual? This Conservation Week, DOC is inviting workplaces across Aotearoa to leaf their desks behind and take action for nature.

Date: 15 August 2025
A leopard seal hauled out on a Christchurch beach over the past week was moved and sadly euthanised today.

Date: 14 August 2025
The black robin/kakaruia/karure population on the Chatham’s Rangatira/Hokorereoro/South East Island is reaching capacity, highlighting the need for more predator-free habitat.

Date: 13 August 2025
Cyclists can once again ride the full St James Cycle Trail loop, near Hanmer Springs, with the opening of a new bridge across the Waiau Uwha River.

Date: 12 August 2025
New Zealand’s wild kakī/black stilt population has been boosted with the release of 148 young birds in Te Manahuna/Mackenzie Basin this month.

Date: 11 August 2025
DOC is urging people to come forward with any information about three New Zealand sea lions/pakake deliberately killed near Oamaru over the weekend.

Date: 11 August 2025
The removal of pest plants across the reserve surrounding Waimata Gemstone Bay marks the start of work to reinstate the track to the picturesque beach.

Date: 07 August 2025
After receiving over 150 submissions, DOC has released a pricing proposal for paid car parking at two busy tourism sites in Te Waipounamu/South Island today.

Date: 06 August 2025
A woman who took photographs of herself illegally taking several dogs into Tongariro National Park has been given a $400 infringement notice for her “blatant disregard” of the law.

Date: 05 August 2025
A karakia rang out across the Pouākai Range yesterday morning as representatives from Ngā Mahanga a Tāiri hapū blessed the new Pouākai Hut.

Date: 02 August 2025
Source: Office of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Conservation
Unleashing economic growth on one third of New Zealand’s land will create jobs and increase wages across the country, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced at the National Party Conference in Christchurch today.

Date: 01 August 2025
DOC and the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association (NZDA) are proud to announce the return of the National Wild Goat Hunting Competition.

Date: 01 August 2025
A new conservation grant funding programme for Hawke’s Bay will open to applicants next week, inviting the community to undertake predator control or replanting of areas with native species.

Date: 31 July 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
A $4.5 million investment to develop tourism at places with unique cultural heritage will help create jobs and boost incomes in rural economies, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 31 July 2025
Source: Office of the Minister for Conservation
A $17.5 million investment into strengthening sustainable tourism at some of the country’s most popular natural attractions will support jobs and incomes for regional economies, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 31 July 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Tourism and rural businesses will benefit from Government action to eradicate invasive weeds from popular landscapes including progressing the development of world-leading early detection technology, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 31 July 2025
The Abel Tasman Coastal Track has fully reopened after slips and other damage from a storm in July was repaired.

Date: 30 July 2025
Anti Crow Hut up the Waimakariri River valley was rat-infested and a tree had fallen through one of its walls.

Date: 28 July 2025
The onset of weather system packing heavy rain has prompted DOC to close tracks to Coromandel’s Mautohe Cathedral Cove and urge visitors not go to the famous beach.

Date: 28 July 2025
Te Anau Bird Sanctuary is making a shift towards a more flexible and sustainable operating model.

Date: 24 July 2025
Walking access to one of Coromandel’s most picturesque bays is set to be restored, with DOC confirming it will repair the track to Waimata Gemstone Bay.

Date: 23 July 2025
Almost 670,000 bednights were booked at DOC huts, campsites and Great walks between December 2024 and February 2025, bringing in more than $13 million according to DOC’s latest visitor insights.

Date: 22 July 2025
It’s had a new car park, new fencing, and now, much-loved Gordon Park in Whanganui is gaining ground with adjacent paddock areas ready for planting.

Date: 22 July 2025
A dead stoat found in the middle of a Rakiura/Stewart Island track is concerning, says Department of Conservation Southern South Island Director of Operations Aaron Fleming.

Date: 18 July 2025
A new fenced enclosure is being built on the West Coast, aiming to protect the world’s last known population of 30 critically endangered Alborn skinks.

Date: 17 July 2025
DOC investigators are asking people to come forward with any information they have on two concerning incidents involving protected marine mammals in the Auckland region.

Date: 16 July 2025
An international report, led by a DOC scientist, warns the world is on track to lose even more of its wetlands – but solutions exist.

Date: 16 July 2025
Kiwi pukupuku/little spotted kiwi have been rediscovered in the wild on mainland Aotearoa for the first time in 50 years, shocking and delighting conservationists.

Date: 15 July 2025
Trains Hut, nestled deep in the Waitōtara Conservation Area, has been given a new lease on life thanks to collaboration between DOC and the Backcountry Trust.

Date: 14 July 2025
Access to the Kahurangi National Park from the Tasman District has been cut off by recent storm damage, while part of Abel Tasman Coast Track is temporarily closed.

Date: 10 July 2025
Source: Office of Minister of Conservation
A significant boost in the number of people booking bednights along the country’s Great Walks is a good sign for conservation tourism and local businesses, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 10 July 2025
A kea found with a serious gunshot wound has been released back into the wild after a lengthy recovery.

Date: 10 July 2025
As winter sets in, the 42 Traverse remains off-limits to four-wheel drives to protect track condition and maintain access for conservation work.

Date: 08 July 2025
At nearly 90 years old, the iconic Bridge to Nowhere in Whanganui National Park has cemented its reputation with a prestigious Enduring Concrete Award.

Date: 08 July 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
A targeted effort to reduce the backlog of applications for use of conservation land is accelerating economic growth without compromising conservation values, says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

Date: 08 July 2025
DOC’s Customer Service Centre has revealed the top wildlife-related queries flooding its inbox and phone lines this year.

Date: 07 July 2025
A quarry which will supply rock for critical infrastructure projects in South Westland has been approved under the Crown Minerals Act 1991.

Date: 04 July 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Significant investment into supporting native species and tackling invasive pests in national parks has been announced by Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.

Date: 04 July 2025
The pioneering use of microchip technology has the potential to reveal the closely held secrets of an elusive native fish, including its mysterious sex life.

Date: 03 July 2025
West Coast DOC Rangers say they are concerned that gold fossickers breaking rules are potentially threatening the stability of a camp site.

Date: 02 July 2025
To protect the Auckland icons unique nature, 1,012 wilding pines have been removed from the island in a five-week, ground control operation.

Date: 01 July 2025
A previously poached West Coast green gecko has been seen alive and well in the wild more than a year after her release, thanks to the power of citizen science.

Date: 30 June 2025
DOC is reminding people of the need for permits for possession of protected marine mammal parts after a buyer purchased whale baleen on Trade Me.

Date: 30 June 2025
A refurbishment of the West Coast’s Slaty Creek Hut has served as a catalyst for rangers to learn about wood working methods used by pioneers.

Date: 30 June 2025
DOC's Deputy Director General Public Affairs, Sia Aston says DOC’s Jobs for Nature has employed more than 7,000 people in 225 projects, making a huge difference to nature over the past five years.

Date: 26 June 2025
DOC has been notified of a dead orca in the shallows on the beach north of Waimairi.

Date: 26 June 2025
A new study has confirmed a whale research method has negligible impact on the majestic marine mammals – just as an exciting whale sighting off the Otago coast emphasises why this work matters.

Date: 26 June 2025
A new gate on the Mangapurua Cycle Trail in Whanganui National Park will create a safer experience by preventing winter damage from people using quad bikes and light utility vehicles.

Date: 24 June 2025
DOC is reminding the public to keep an eye out for ruru with five injured or sick birds from the West Coast being cared for in the past month.

Date: 23 June 2025
Kiwis heading for warmer destinations for their mid-winter breaks are being urged to check the CITES rules if they plan to return to New Zealand with tropical trinkets.

Date: 23 June 2025
Purchasing fishing licences for the Taupō Trout Fishery will be easier under a new licence sales system going live on 24 June – a week before the season begins.

Date: 19 June 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
A $750,000 investment into Iwi and community led biodiversity protection at Kaimai Mamaku Conservation Park will benefit the environment and sustainable tourism, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 19 June 2025
DOC is asking the public to report sightings of an invasive fern across the Lower North Island and help reduce the spread.

Date: 18 June 2025
With a leg span of 13 cm and a 3 cm long body, the Nelson cave spider/spelungulae cavernicola is New Zealand’s largest native spider, but it’s not scary – it’s scared of us.

Date: 18 June 2025
The 2024–25 tara iti/New Zealand fairy tern breeding season has ended, marking another successful and exciting chapter in efforts to protect one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most endangered birds.

Date: 16 June 2025
Dozens of cameras installed on the Kaitake Range in Taranaki are revealing the success stemming from five years of intensive predator control.

Date: 15 June 2025
The public are urged to report further sightings. A humpback whale reported entangled in rope off the coast of Moeraki has been freed, thanks to a coordinated effort between DOC’s expert whale disentanglement team, a local fishing crew, and mana whenua, Te Rūnaka o Moeraki.

Date: 13 June 2025
More than 130,000 long-spined sea urchins have been removed during a trial operation to protect one of New Zealand’s most iconic underwater ecosystems - Tawhiti Rahi/Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve.

Date: 12 June 2025
Alpine landscapes within the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park will serve as the backdrop for a new biopic about Sherpa Tenzing Norgay’s 1953 epic climb to the summit of Mount Everest alongside Sir Edmund Hillary.

Date: 11 June 2025
On Sunday, 40 tīeke/saddlebacks were translocated from Taranga (Hen Island) to Rakitū Island, marking the species' return to the motu after more than half a century.

Date: 05 June 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Hunting and Fishing
Reforms to modernise and strengthen Fish & Game New Zealand will improve the national management of hunting and fishing resources and advocacy, while maintaining local control over local fishing and hunting rules, Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager has announced.

Date: 05 June 2025
Great Walk ‘tasters’ are on offer this summer while the Tongariro Northern Circuit as a multi-day Great Walk loop is out of action to make way for construction of a new Oturere Hut.

Date: 04 June 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation and Minister of Tourism and Hospitality
The Government will invest $15.2 million into upgrading infrastructure and enhancing conservation at Milford Sound Piopiotahi to sustainably grow tourism while also protecting the jewel in our conservation crown.

Date: 05 June 2025
It’s that time of year again—when young fur seals start turning up in all sorts of odd places, from footpaths and paddocks to busy roads.

Date: 04 June 2025
A driver slowed down on the road near Ōtanewainuku and was rewarded with a kiwi encounter many New Zealanders dream of.

Date: 30 May 2025
The iconic Makarora and Blue Pools bridges near Wānaka will reopen tomorrow in time for King’s Birthday weekend, after comprehensive upgrades.

Date: 29 May 2025
If there is one person who knows all about toilet paper, it’s DOC ranger Daryl Sweeney.

Date: 28 May 2025
DOC is asking for feedback on paid parking pilots at Punakaiki and Franz Josef on the West Coast.

Date: 27 May 2025
Tongariro Department of Conservation rangers in Ohakune have come up with a lighthearted way to educate their furry friends on the rules for Tongariro National Park.

Date: 27 May 2025
Stunning new footage from a recent deep-sea expedition in New Zealand southern waters reveals the rich biodiversity and delicate beauty of our undersea habitats, where some coral formations have remained untouched for hundreds of years.

Date: 26 May 2025
Source: Department of Conservation and Auckland Council
A record 277 hihi/stitchbirds fledged on Tiritiri Matangi Island this breeding season, allowing many birds to spread their wings and leave the flock.

Date: 26 May 2025
The roof is on, the deck is nearly completed, and two toilets are already available.

Date: 26 May 2025
The popular Nikau Walk at Te Pahū in Waikato will be closed for up to three weeks from 26 May while contractors working on behalf of DOC improve and upgrade the track.

Date: 16 May 2025
DOC has reopened more of the popular Hooker Valley Track in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, as work starts on a spectacular new suspension bridge.

Date: 15 May 2025
A takahē and a tuatara have been filmed engaging in a bush-floor stoush in a new video captured by a quick-thinking DOC Ranger.

Date: 15 May 2025
Planning is underway to get Hahei Beach Walk rerouted and open in time for next summer.

Date: 14 May 2025
A new meat bait to target feral cats is showing great promise in recent field trials and could be a game changer in work to save nature.

Date: 13 May 2025
More pāteke/brown teal in Fiordland National Park have survived this year than ever before, and rangers involved are celebrating the success of predator control.

Date: 12 May 2025
Source: Office of Minister for Hunting and Fishing
Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager will consider formally designating a wapiti deer Herd of Special Interest (HOSI) in Fiordland National Park, which could cover more than 190,000 hectares.

Date: 13 May 2025
DOC is reminding people to be prepared as the first 2025/26 bookings open from 9:30 am today, starting with backcountry huts, cabins, lodges and cottages.

Date: 12 May 2025
A protected royal spoonbill/kōtuku ngutupapa has been euthanised after it was found with a shotgun pellet injury to one of its wings.

Date: 12 May 2025
Our most important sites of natural and cultural heritage could gain global recognition, with the opening of applications for New Zealand’s World Heritage ‘Tentative List’.

Date: 08 May 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Improvements to the Wildlife Act passed through Parliament today ensure important development projects, such as building new solar and wind farms, continue supporting our growing economy while protecting precious wildlife, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 07 May 2025
A DOC ranger caring for a population of Powelliphanta augusta snails has for the first time caught a snail laying an egg on video.

Date: 07 May 2025
New research into the kākā population in Pureora Forest shows a 50:50 sex ratio for the first time – a result credited to successful predator control.

Date: 06 May 2025
Two of the Coromandel’s most popular DOC sites are set for upgrades, with work beginning next week on improving Pinnacles Hut and nearby Summit Track.

Date: 06 May 2025
Source: Department of Conservation and New Zealand Nature Fund
Donations from people all over New Zealand are helping efforts to keep pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel on the planet.

Date: 06 May 2025
DOC is encouraging people to prepare to grab their spot when bookings open for popular huts, campsites and Great Walks later this month.

Date: 05 May 2025
A West Coast weka that hitched a ride to Christchurch after sneaking into a vehicle has been returned home by DOC no worse for wear.

Date: 05 May 2025
DOC will close tracks to Coromandel’s Mautohe Cathedral Cove for two days this week to remove wilding conifers.

Date: 05 May 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Toitū te taiao – Our environment endures. The Government is consulting on proposals to better protect our precious biodiversity and its economic benefits for future generations, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 01 May 2025
Taumarunui nature enthusiasts are invited to create their own predator control plan and learn how to implement it with accredited training coming to Taumarunui on 21 and 22 May.

Date: 01 May 2025
Source: Released by Ngāi Tahu 01/05/2025
Kākāpō at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari have completed their first season of booming – something that has not been heard on the North Island of mainland Aotearoa for more than a century.

Date: 30 April 2025
DOC's Director-General, Penny Nelson, has granted Whakapapa Holdings Limited (WHL) a 10-year concession to operate Whakapapa ski field.

Date: 30 April 2025
A DOC ranger’s passion and innovation is driving work to restore a rare fragment of original kānuka forest on the Canterbury Plains.

Date: 29 April 2025
Tiny green leaves are the first signs of success from last year’s mistletoe translocation to Mt Pirongia in Waikato.

Date: 29 April 2025
DOC is building a new viewing platform at Lake Marian Falls in Fiordland National Park to cater for increasing numbers of visitors and enhance safety.

Date: 27 April 2025
DOC is warning the public to keep away from sand dunes at the southern end of Omaha Beach, north of Auckland after a member of the public spotted a live native yellow-bellied sea snake resting there.

Date: 23 April 2025
After heavy rainfall over Easter weekend, a bridge on the Hooker Valley Track, one of New Zealand’s most popular tourist destinations, has been closed by the Department of Conservation.

Date: 22 April 2025
DOC’s North Taranaki Visitor Centre will temporarily close in late April while demolition on the aging visitor centre building begins.

Date: 19 April 2025
DOC urges caution after reopening tracks to Mautohe Cathedral Cove, following severe weather brought by ex-tropical Cyclone Tam.

Date: 17 April 2025
$9.2 million from DOC’s Community Fund has been awarded to 20 groups protecting threatened species and ecosystems across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Date: 17 April 2025
A free licence, a lasting momento, and bragging rights: all of this is on the table for contenders in this year’s Taupō Fishery photo competition.

Date: 16 April 2025
The onset of Cyclone Tam has prompted DOC to close tracks to Coromandel’s Mautohe Cathedral Cove and urge visitors not to go to the famous beach.

Date: 16 April 2025
Source: Department of Conservation and Marlborough District Council
DOC and Marlborough District Council urge boaties to take care around the district’s colonies of the endangered king shag, especially during the winter breeding season.

Date: 15 April 2025
DOC rangers say dog faeces left behind on Southland’s Foveaux Walkway have reached ‘obscene’ levels and may see dogs being excluded from the track entirely, unless things improve.

Date: 15 April 2025
Information released today by the DOC reveals more detail on several marine mammal species, helping to improve how they are managed in New Zealand.

Date: 14 April 2025
Source: National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, Department of Conservation and Waikato Regional Council
Work to remove hundreds of wilding conifers at Coromandel’s Opera Point Reserve will begin this week.

Date: 14 April 2025
Named after one of fiction’s most notorious characters, the threatened freshwater fish Gollum galaxias has been confirmed at several sites in the Waimatuku Stream near Invercargill.

Date: 16 April 2025
Kaiteretere has an extra splash of colour this summer from a new mural celebrating the Tonga Island Marine Reserve.

Date: 10 April 2025
A colony of black-fronted terns/tarapirohe near Twizel has defied the odds and raised a bumper number of fledglings this year despite an unprecedented season of challenging weather.

Date: 10 April 2025
Work to contain the contaminated contents of an historic landfill is underway at Bluff’s Ocean Beach.

Date: 08 April 2025
A juvenile Tara iti/NZ fairy tern has been tracked taking a series of marathon flights around the upper North Island.

Date: 04 April 2025
Lecture by DOC Director-General Penny Nelson at Otago Tourism Policy School on Thursday 3 April 2025.

Date: 03 April 2025
Crocodile jerky, whale and bear meat, and luxury handbags made from python and crocodile are among the goods seized or surrendered last year as part of DOC’s CITES responsibilities.

Date: 01 April 2025
A DOC survey shows whio duckling numbers in Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki have hit a record high, with whio now a regular sight on Taranaki Maunga.

Date: 28 March 2025
Source: Office of Minister for Hunting and Fishing
A new and improved hunting permit system will make it easier for New Zealanders to go hunting on public conservation land Minister for Hunting and Fishing James Meager says.

Date: 28 March 2025
DOC has intensified trapping at a wild takahē site in the Greenstone Valley near Queenstown after four recent takahē deaths pointed to stoat predation.

Date: 28 March 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
Prompt improvements to the Wildlife Act will ensure infrastructure developments and important conservation work can continue supporting our growing economy while protecting our precious wildlife, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 27 March 2025
Two geckos living on a predator free island off the North Canterbury coast are thought to be the oldest in the world at around 60 and 64 years.

Date: 27 March 2025
Good homes are urgently needed for more than 250 Kaimanawa horses due to be mustered from the Waiouru Military Training area in late April 2025.

Date: 26 March 2025
New research offers invaluable insights into the challenges faced in protecting local bottlenose dolphins in Te Pēwhairangi/Bay of Islands.

Date: 24 March 2025
New tracks and traps are closing a gap in the Central Southern Alps Whio Security Site, bringing the site closer to its goal of 50 protected whio pairs.

Date: 22 March 2025
It is with great sadness that Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro acknowledge a recent death in Tongariro National Park.

Date: 21 March 2025
A DOC survey to better understand Hector’s dolphins in the Otago region is now underway and progressing well.

Date: 20 March 2025
Experts from the United States, Australia and Aotearoa are taking flight from Whakatāne to learn more about Critically Endangered leatherback turtles.

Date: 19 March 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is investigating after nine kiwi were found dead in the Wharengaere area of Purerua, eastern Northland – six since mid-February. Most show signs of trauma consistent with dog attacks.

Date: 18 March 2025
Work is underway to repair a damaged section of the Coromandel Walkway.

Date: 18 March 2025
Work to clean up an historic landfill 2.5 km south of Milford Sound Piopiotahi is due to begin in April.

Date: 13 March 2025
A team reviewing underwater footage in Fiordland were amazed to find a great white shark eyeballing their camera recently.

Date: 12 March 2025
This afternoon, five rehabilitated green turtles were released back into the wild in Rangaunu Harbour, Northland, marking the beginning of an important three-year research project.

Date: 11 March 2025
A large digger isn’t something usually seen in a protected wetland, but it’s proven vital in a collaborative effort to remove an invasive weed species.

Date: 05 March 2025
A crucial new wild kākāriki karaka/orange-fronted parakeet population is being established on Pukenui/Anchor Island following the release of 34 of the critically endangered manu there.

Date: 03 March 2025
Hunters entering this year’s Pureora Hunting Competition are urged to target both hinds and stags, as DOC staff seek more information on the forest’s deer herd.

Date: 03 March 2025
Two parties have been chosen to manage Pūponga Farm Park, adjacent to Golden Bay’s Onetahua/Farewell Spit.

Date: 27 February 2025
South Island kākā, Charlie Girl, will remain at the Dunedin Botanic Garden Aviary where she’s being well looked after, for the foreseeable future, following an independent assessment into the parrot’s welfare.

Date: 24 February 2025
The future looks set to bloom for 1000 seedlings of Nationally Endangered Gardner’s tree daisy germinated at Tongariro Prison Nursery.

Date: 21 February 2025
New Zealand is partnering with global conservation charities to raise $137 million to rewild some of Aotearoa’s largest islands so they become safe havens for native wildlife found nowhere else in the world.

Date: 18 February 2025
DOC has announced that bookings for the 2025/26 season for New Zealand’s Great Walks and other huts and campsites will open in May.

Date: 18 February 2025
The latest report on New Zealand amphibians’ conservation status confirms higher numbers of Archey’s frogs than previously known, although they’re still at risk of extinction.

Date: 17 February 2025
Source: Office of the Minister of Conservation
The Government is investing $30 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy to fund more than a dozen projects to boost biodiversity and the tourist economy, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says.

Date: 14 February 2025
DOC is reminding the public of the critical importance of protecting tara iti (fairy tern) nesting sites following an incident at Mangawhai Heads in late December 2024, during the birds’ peak breeding season.

Date: 13 February 2025
DOC will be holding public hearings on Whakapapa Holdings Limited’s concession application from 17 February to 19 February 2025.

Date: 12 February 2025
Efforts to expand a wild population of takahē near Queenstown began yesterday with the release of 18 birds in the Rees Valley.

Date: 10 February 2025
Starting from bare ground near Arowhenua Marae in Temuka, a Jobs for Nature project to support the Rakitata River Revival project now employs 11 people.

Date: 10 February 2025
DOC is exploring alternatives to its management role at Te Anau Bird Sanctuary/Te Punanga Manu following a review into the facility and its operations.

Date: 10 February 2025
A DOC-led spartina control operation will focus on an infestation of the plants in the inter-tidal areas of Coromandel Harbour later this month.

Date: 07 February 2025
DOC will begin the latest Maaui dolphin abundance estimate survey next week, continuing vital work to monitor and protect one of the world’s rarest marine mammals.

Date: 05 February 2025
DOC plans to control a mouse plague that is threatening to destroy a small population of critically endangered Alborn skinks near Reefton using the toxin brodifacoum in bait stations.

Date: 04 February 2025
DOC staff are cautiously optimistic about the 2024/2025 tara iti/New Zealand fairy tern breeding season, which is tracking within expectations for the critically threatened species.

Date: 31 January 2025
The first release of seven juvenile whio in the Moeraki valley, north of Haast, is a milestone for West Coast whio conservation efforts.

Date: 31 January 2025
The internationally significant Whangamarino Wetland has proven more resilient to fire than expected, thanks to the healthy state of the peatland before the blaze.

Date: 30 January 2025
More than 150 remote predator traps set to protect native species in Mt Aspiring National Park have been systematically tampered with says DOC.

Date: 30 January 2025
A major assessment released by DOC shows many of New Zealand’s native plants and animals are in for a rough time as climate change impacts increase.

Date: 30 January 2025
A Department of Conservation study is predicting more extreme weather for New Zealand’s southernmost subantarctic island, which is likely to impact the sealions, albatross and other threatened species living there.

Date: 29 January 2025
Orca pod sightings in two Waikato harbours have prompted DOC staff to remind boaties, kayakers and jet-skiers about the rules for interactions with marine mammals.

Date: 29 January 2025
The sea is rapidly claiming their home due to climate change, but the recent move of critically threatened Whenua Hou diving petrel to a new site could help secure their future.

Date: 23 January 2025
DOC has begun an incursion response on predator free Ulva Island after a rat was found dead in a trap last week during routine surveillance.

Date: 23 January 2025
DOC and the Backcountry Trust (BCT) are partnering on 30 recreational hut projects this summer – great news for lovers of New Zealand’s backcountry and those looking to volunteer outdoors, says DOC.

Date: 21 January 2025
Attempting to wriggle from its handler’s grasp, a brown kiwi has eagerly returned home to the wild near the Parapara Road Banana Bridge, following its recovery from being hit by a car.

Date: 21 January 2025
Hundreds of people a day are visiting Mautohe Cathedral Cove’s famous beach following the reinstatement of walking access to the popular Coromandel location.

Date: 20 January 2025
Source: Department of Conservation and Auckland Zoo
In a fortunate turn of events, an “insurance” population of 148 cobble skinks has been returned to the wild north of Westport on the South Island’s West Coast.

Date: 19 January 2025
Iwi, DOC, and Project Jonah teams have been responding to two separate whale stranding events this weekend in the South Island.

Date: 17 January 2025
DOC rangers and a hut warden were in the right place at the right time to help a hiker in the Nelson Lakes National Park.

Date: 14 January 2025
Source: Department of Conservation and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu
Hoiho appear on our five-dollar note and are one of the rarest penguins in the world with only 143 known nests on mainland New Zealand including Stewart Island/Rakiura.

Date: 09 January 2025
DOC is seeking information from the public, following reports of seabirds being captured in fishing nets and drowned from a boat near Slipper Island/Whakahau, Coromandel.

Date: 09 January 2025
DOC’s marine mammal disentanglement team were able to free the entangled dolphin around western Auckland yesterday.

Date: 08 January 2025
DOC’s Queenstown visitor centre will be temporarily operating from Glenorchy between 13-26 January 2025.

Date: 07 January 2025
DOC is calling for public assistance in locating an entangled bottlenose dolphin reported in waters around western Auckland.