New Zealand's first true dryland sanctuary is bringing the lizards back to Central Otago.
Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary is New Zealand’s first fully-fenced dryland sanctuary, with a vision of restoring to a small patch of Central Otago the unique ecosystem that existed before human settlement.
The focus of this community sanctuary is the diverse and beautiful lizard species that once lived in these drylands, sun basking on the rocky tors and clambering through the scrub.
Searching for Otago green skinks for translocation into Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary, Dec 2023. Photo: Anna Yeoman.
A reminder of the threats NZ lizards face from cats, both domestic and feral!
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WATCH: A new video celebrating 20 years of the Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary project
20 years
​​A great podcast about the sanctuary, and about NZ lizard conservation, was created by Karthic SS for Otago Access Radio. You can listen to it here:
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Underdogs under the ledge: Saving rare lizards​
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A book that grew out of the inspiration of Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary, Geckos & Skinks: The Remarkable Lizards of Aotearoa, can be purchased at bookshops across NZ, or directly from the publishers Potton & Burton (free postage in NZ).
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In October 2025 it received a Whitley Award for Conservation Zoology.
Photo: Anna Yeoman
Photo: Anna Yeoman
Photo: Carey Knox
The jewelled geckos hide in the green shrubs and long grass, while the foot-long Otago skinks soak up the sun on the schist rock stacks. Get to know our local lizards...
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With grateful thanks to our major supporters:
Schist gecko. Carey Knox
Slideshow photos top of page: 1. Otago skink, Carey Knox. 2. Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary. Anna Yeoman. 3. Jewelled gecko, Carey Knox. 4. Melicytus alpinus. Anna Yeoman. 5. Mokomoko Dryland Sanctuary. 6. McCanns skink. Carey Knox.
