Zoo supports hurricane-hit Caribbean conservationists

Residents of Union Island in the Caribbean, whose incredible efforts have helped to double the population of their island’s Critically Endangered endemic gecko, have recently had their lives and livelihoods decimated by Hurricane Beryl.

Auckland Zoo is stepping up to help - contributing some emergency funding through its Conservation Fund, which supports people/projects helping conserve threatened wildlife and wild places here in Aotearoa and around the world.

“It’s a heartbreaking situation for this inspiring community, who since 2015 have been working with the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ Forestry Department and international conservation organisations, on a recovery plan for the Union Island gecko - a stunningly beautiful tiny jewel of a reptile (the size of a paperclip!).

“Wildlife conservation is about people; meaningful and sustainable programmes for wildlife and our environment can’t happen without the support and commitment of local communities. For that hard mahi to be possible its essential basic human needs such as food, shelter, clean water, and power are being met,” says Auckland Zoo’s head of animal care and conservation, Richard Gibson.  

“Reports confirm that Hurricane Beryl is the first-ever Category 4 hurricane recorded in this region so early in the hurricane season. Fuelled by exceptionally warm ocean temperatures, catastrophic weather events like this only highlight the urgent need for governments globally to vastly step-up efforts to mitigate human-driven climate change,” says Richard. 

Union Island is part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, and the Union Island gecko, first described in 2005, lives in just 50ha of ancient forest. Being highly attractive to the illegal pet trade due to its jewel-like markings, its population has been drastically impacted by aggressive poaching and illegal trafficking.

Since 2018, thanks to dedicated conservation efforts including the practical support of Union Island locals (managing protected areas, anti-poaching patrols, and 24-hour surveillance by community wardens) the population of this precious gecko had increased to an estimated 18,000, but it’s unclear at this time what the impact of Hurricane Beryl has been.

Both the people and the gecko of Union Island are in desperate need of help. Please donate what you can at: https://www.fauna-flora.org/appeals/hurricane-beryl-appeal/