Islands in Isolation is one of three conservation themes that Wellington Zoo plans to develop to help promote the need for the sustainable use of New Zealand's natural resources and a balance between humans and nature.

This theme will explain the consequences of wildlife evolving in isolation, using New Zealand, Australia and Madagascar as examples.

New Zealand and Madagascar have remarkable similarities in evolutionary terms. The wildlife in both countries evolved almost entirely from a single type of animal: birds in New Zealand and lemurs (a primate) in Madagascar.

These species evolved to occupy all the available niches in their ecosystem. In other parts of the world these niches were filled by mammals: rodents, foxes, cats and badgers. In New Zealand these places were filled by our large number of flightless birds. The kiwi is a perfect example, having many mammal characteristics.

TheTwilight will be the focal point of this theme. The Twilight is the focal point of the Islands in Isolation conservation theme in the Zoo. The displays will tell the story of the effects on fauna of developing in isolation over a long period of time. As we know to our cost in New Zealand, highly specialised species are very vulnerable to introduced species, disturbing the delicate balance of their ecosystem.

A delicate balance
A powerful example of the devastating effects of disturbing an ecosystem is the moa. As a highly specialised grazer - New Zealand's deer equivalent - it was unable to survive the competition from introduced species.

Australian fauna responded differently to its isolation, producing a range of species with unique features. It is also a delicately balanced ecosystem under threat.

By comparing and contrasting these parallel developments, this theme will encourage visitors to re-evaluate the importance of our native species and become more aware of the challenges facing New Zealand native wildlife.

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