Tuatara Management =Significant Sponsors

Sponsoring a tuatara may not be everyone's cup of tea but to Hils Hunt of Tuatara management a corporate financial risk management firm based in Auckland it was an opportunity not to be missed right form the word go.

Tuatara Management had received a portfolio proposal that sought funds to assist in the breeding, eventual release and monitoring of the ancient tuatara species following their release back into the wild of Little Barrier.

Tuatara were thought to be extinct on Little Barrier but were rediscovered in the 1990's. Since then tuatara have been held in captivity on the island to maintain populations.

The Tuatara Management sponsorship involves $40,000 over 4 years. Tuatara Management are also one of the Foundation's biggest supporters with their efforts around the 2005 and 2006 Gala held during Conservation Week.

Fact Box:

Tuatara are famous because they are very ancient - they are the only survivor of a large group of reptiles that roamed the earth at the same time as dinosaurs. Tuatara haven't changed their form much in over 225 million years. Relatives of tuatara died out about 60 million years ago which is why tuatara are sometimes called living fossils.

Only once every two to five years is the female ready to mate. Males will sit outside their burrows and when a female walks past he will circle her. If the female is interested they will mate.