Meet the giant insect that can weigh more than a mouse, stretch across your palm and is making a comeback

The wētāpunga, a giant insect known for its weight exceeding that of a mouse and ability to span an adult's palm, is experiencing a significant resurgence in New Zealand. This remarkable comeback is attributed to a successful conservation breeding program. Historically, the species was widespread across the North Island but faced a sharp decline after human settlement caused habitat loss and introduced predators such as rats and cats.

By the 1990s, the wētāpunga had vanished from the mainland, leaving only a population on Hauturu/Little Barrier Island as its last stronghold. In response, conservationists at Butterfly Creek and Auckland Zoo developed techniques for raising the insects in captivity, including feeding them fresh foliage, fish flakes, and leaf litter.

Communal mesh cages helped boost population numbers. Since 2010, over 11,000 wētāpunga have been released into predator-free islands and fenced sanctuaries on the mainland, where they have established sustainable breeding populations that have thrived across multiple generations, demonstrating successful reproduction in their new environments.

Surveys reveal an average of 28.5 wētāpunga per person per hour of searching in these new habitats, compared to just 1.4 on Little Barrier Island. In 2022, the species' conservation status was upgraded from "Endangered" to "Threatened — Nationally Increasing," reflecting the population growth. Experts suggest that this conservation success could serve as a model for protecting other endangered invertebrates, including the Canterbury knobbled weevil and several native stag beetle species.