Editing Tuatara (section)

===Eradication of rats===
Tuatara were removed from [[Stanley Island, New Zealand|Stanley]], [[Red Mercury Island|Red Mercury]] and [[Cuvier Island]]s in 1990 and 1991, and maintained in captivity to allow Polynesian rats to be eradicated on those islands. All three populations bred in captivity, and after successful eradication of the rats, all individuals, including the new juveniles, were returned to their islands of origin. In the 1991–92 season, [[Little Barrier Island]] was found to hold only eight tuatara, which were taken into ''[[in situ conservation|in situ]]'' captivity, where females produced 42 eggs, which were incubated at Victoria University. The resulting offspring were subsequently held in an enclosure on the island, then released into the wild in 2006 after rats were eradicated there.<ref>{{cite report |title=Fauna on Little Barrier Island |department=Department of Conservation |publisher=Government of New Zealand |url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/auckland/hauraki-gulf-islands/little-barrier-island-nature-reserve-hauturu-o-toi/features/#fauna |access-date=3 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140329040539/http://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-visit/auckland/hauraki-gulf-islands/little-barrier-island-nature-reserve-hauturu-o-toi/features/#fauna |archive-date=29 March 2014}}</ref>

In the [[Hen and Chicken Islands]], Polynesian rats were eradicated on Whatupuke in 1993, Lady Alice Island in 1994, and Coppermine Island in 1997. Following this program, juveniles have once again been seen on the latter three islands. In contrast, rats persist on Hen Island of the same group, and no juvenile tuatara have been seen there as of 2001. In the [[Alderman Islands]], Middle Chain Island holds no tuatara, but it is considered possible for rats to swim between Middle Chain and other islands that do hold tuatara, and the rats were eradicated in 1992 to prevent this.<ref name=recovery/> Another rodent eradication was carried out on the Rangitoto Islands east of [[D'Urville Island]], to prepare for the release of 432&nbsp;Cook Strait tuatara juveniles in 2004, which were being raised at Victoria University as of 2001.<ref name=recovery /><!--can we find out whether this plan was followed through?-->

====Brothers Island tuatara====
''Sphenodon punctatus guntheri'' is present naturally on one small island with a population of approximately 400. In 1995, 50&nbsp;juvenile and 18&nbsp;adult Brothers Island tuatara were moved to Titi Island in [[Cook Strait]], and their establishment monitored. Two years later, more than half of the animals had been seen again and of those all but one had gained weight. In 1998, 34&nbsp;juveniles from captive breeding and 20&nbsp;wild-caught adults were similarly transferred to [[Matiu/Somes Island]], a more publicly accessible location in Wellington Harbour. The captive juveniles were from induced layings from wild females.<ref name=recovery />

In late October&nbsp;2007, 50&nbsp;tuatara collected as eggs from North Brother Island and hatched at [[Victoria University of Wellington|Victoria University]] were being released onto [[Long Island, Marlborough|Long Island]] in the outer [[Marlborough Sounds]]. The animals had been cared for at Wellington Zoo for the previous five years and had been kept in secret in a specially built enclosure at the zoo, off display.<ref>{{cite press release | title = Rare tuatara raised at Wellington Zoo | publisher = [[Wellington Zoo]] | date = 29 October 2007 | url = http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0710/S00061.htm |access-date =19 April 2008}}</ref>

There is another out of country population of Brothers Island tuatara that was given to the [[San Diego Zoological Society]] and is housed off-display at the [[San Diego Zoo]] facility in Balboa.<ref>{{cite news |series=Reptiles |title=Tuatara |department=At the Zoo |publisher = San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance |url=http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/tuatara |access-date=11 May 2014}}</ref> No successful reproductive efforts have been reported yet.

====Northern tuatara====
[[File:Tuatara karori head.jpg|thumb|upright|Tuatara at the [[Karori Wildlife Sanctuary|Karori Sanctuary]] are given coloured markings on the head for identification.]]
''S.&nbsp;punctatus punctatus'' naturally occurs on 29&nbsp;islands, and its population is estimated to be over 60,000&nbsp;individuals.<ref name=encyclo/> In 1996, 32&nbsp;adult northern tuatara were moved from [[Moutoki Island]] to [[Moutohora Island|Moutohora]]. The carrying capacity of Moutohora is estimated at 8,500&nbsp;individuals, and the island could allow public viewing of wild tuatara.<ref name=recovery/> In 2003, 60&nbsp;northern tuatara were introduced to [[Tiritiri Matangi Island]] from Middle Island in the [[Mercury Islands|Mercury group]]. They are occasionally seen sunbathing by visitors to the island.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.doc.govt.nz/upload/documents/getting-involved/students-and-teachers/field-trips-by-region/tiri-education-kit/15-part-4-reptiles-167-174.pdf | title = Translocated reptiles |volume = Part 4: Reptiles | work = Tiritiri Matangi: An education resource for schools | publisher = Department of Conservation, Government of New Zealand }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Tiritiri Matangi Island field trip | url = http://www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/for-teachers/field-trip-resources/field-trips-by-region/auckland/tiritiri-matangi-island/teaching-resource/ | work = Tiritiri Matangi – An education resource for schools | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140329033704/http://www.doc.govt.nz/getting-involved/for-teachers/field-trip-resources/field-trips-by-region/auckland/tiritiri-matangi-island/teaching-resource/ | archive-date = 29 March 2014 | publisher = Department of Conservation, Government of New Zealand | date = November 2007}}</ref>

A mainland release of ''S.p.&nbsp;punctatus'' occurred in 2005 in the heavily fenced and monitored [[Karori Wildlife Sanctuary|Karori Sanctuary]].<ref name="karori"/> The second mainland release took place in October&nbsp;2007, when a further 130 were transferred from [[Stephens Island, New Zealand|Stephens Island]] to the Karori Sanctuary.<ref>{{cite news |title=130&nbsp;tuatara find sanctuary |date=20 October 2007 |newspaper=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]] |place=Wellington, NZ |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4243952a7693.html |access-date=19 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210145408/https://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4243952a7693.html |archive-date=10 December 2008}}</ref> In early 2009, the first recorded wild-born offspring were observed.<ref>{{cite news |author = Easton, P. |date=20 March 2009  |title=Life will be wild for new boy |newspaper=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]] |place=Wellington, NZ |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/2278328/Life-will-be-wild-for-new-boy/ |access-date=20 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090614014223/http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/2278328/Life-will-be-wild-for-new-boy/ |archive-date = 14 June 2009}}</ref>