North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre Releases 5 Black Bears

North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre releases 5 black bears

The North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre has been caring for five orphaned black bear cubs for approximately 18 months, giving them the chance to develop survival skills with minimal human interaction. Tuesday, June 16, brought both excitement and emotion to the NIWRA — it was finally time to return the young bears to their natural habitat. NIWRA founder Robin Campbell said the organization has been caring for and releasing bears for more than …

Rehabilitated black bears thriving after fall releases

Five orphaned black bear cubs that were rehabilitated and released into northern California in November 2025 successfully hibernated through the winter and returned to the landscape this spring healthy and active,

$14.1m predator control funding targets South Island wildlife threats

Threatened native species across the South Island will receive greater protection after the Government announced $14.1 million in extra predator control funding. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said the money, drawn from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy, will allow the Department of Conservation to expand work against rats, stoats and other predators following a major beech mast event. Beech forests across the South Isla…