OUR LIZARD KIN

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30200, 3 August 1963, Page 10

OUR LIZARD KIN

I By

WHIM WHAM

A party of Internal Affairs Department wildlife division officers are invesugatina tne tuauia colony on Stephens island, off D’Urville Island . a batch oi about eigru tuataras which the party had captured was flown to Wellington, whence they are to be sent to an aquarium at Napter, a university in Polanu. zoos in England and Ireland, and to Mr Gerald Durrell's private zoo on the island of Jersey.—News item Sir, I’m relieved to hear that our Tuataras aren’t neglected. One was getting anxious, not having heard for so long. It’s reassuring to learn that this Colony has been inspected And that they’re still with Us and evidently keeping well and strong. Our Wild Life (sorry, ‘Wildlife!) Officers don’t report Anything amiss among our prehistoric Fellowcreatures, Nothing to express Concern about. Nothing of that Sort,

No seriously Disturbing Aspects or Distressing Features, Our inoffensive, though Reptile. Contemporaries are making Out pretty well, it seems, there are no Unemployed. Their Standard of Living is higher without any Mistaking Than any similar Lizard Colony has ever enjoyed. Remote like so Many of Us from urban Civilisation, e.g. Wellington or Hutt, and far from numerous The Tuataras cherish their old Identity as a Nation— To them the Notion’s not, as maybe to You Sir humorous. Their Overseas Visitors, vii„ from Over Cook Strait Think highly of Them, but best of AH is the News That the most gifted Lizards are leaving their island State

To take un Important Portions in Overseas Zoos Do we recognise Ourselves. Sir’ And are we linked With these fellow-Rentiles who likewise adorn These DWT—A happy Affinity of the not-exactly-Extinct With the newly-but-not-specially-noticeably Born?