More than 2000 curious locals ventured out to Queens Park on Saturday to welcome Invercargill’s tuatara colony to their new home at Te Moutere – Tuatara Island. The opening celebration, dubbed Henry’s Housewarming, was the first opportunity the public has had to view the tuatara since they were moved from their home in Southland Museum […]
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Baby tuatara discovered at museum demolition site
In a surprise discovery, four baby tuatara have been found alive and well at the demolition site of Invercargill’s former museum. Invercargill’s resident tuatara were shifted from their museum home in February 2023 to make way for Invercargill City Council’s project to demolish and rebuild the museum, along with construction of a separate tuatara enclosure […]
Read More >New tuatara facility set to open next month
Invercargill’s much-anticipated new tuatara enclosure will be unveiled at an official opening event next month, followed by a public opening day celebration. The opening events will mark the first time the tuatara have been seen in public since they vacated their home in the Southland Museum and Art Gallery last year. Invercargill City Council Parks […]
Read More >Local firm wins bid for specialist tuatara enclosure
The Invercargill branch of Calder Stewart has been awarded the contract to construct a new tuatara enclosure within the animal reserve at Queens Park. The enclosure is part of Project 1225, which will also see a brand-new museum, Te Unua Museum of Southland, built in Invercargill, along with a museum collection storage facility constructed at […]
Read More >Invercargill’s taonga tuatara undergo health checks
Plunket checks are a regular part of life for many Kiwi babies – and for Invercargill’s taonga tuatara, too. The city has long been home to a group of tuatara, ranging from juveniles to perhaps Invercargill’s most famous resident of all, Henry: the oldest member of our tuatara population. While his exact age is unknown, […]
Read More >Concept designs for new tuatara enclosure at Queens Park unveiled
Concept designs for the home for Henry and his tuatara friends in Queens Park have been unveiled. In June, Christchurch-based firm Studio 4 Architects came on board to design the new facility and have now delivered a first look at the tuatara space in the animal reserve. The facility will include nine separate areas that […]
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