[MSN] Last gecko needs help with house

[Museum Security Network Mailinglist]

Last gecko needs help with house

02.09.2006

By Brigid Lynch

Fat Albert has always had trouble keeping the weight off.

He used to keep to himself, casting a few furtive glances toward the girls next door while they were sunbathing, and nodding to the nice quiet couple across the way.

But now he's all alone.

His neighbours - two female green geckos and a pair of Northland forest geckos like him - were snatched nearly two months ago from cages outside Whangarei Museum's Kiwi House.

Fat Albert's keeper - Kiwi House co-ordinator Kevin Saxton - is pleading for the endangered geckos' return, while the theft has the Government's Wildlife Enforcement Group alarmed about the recent rise in black-market trading of rare species.

Two officers from the group visited Maunu park this week. Co-ordinator Colin Hitchcock can't put a price on the geckos, but says smuggling is a $10 billion industry worldwide.

Creatures like geckos are popular pets in Europe because they don't take up room, he said.

"I'm aware of species offered for sale in Europe that haven't been there before, and that's a bit alarming.

"Here your pet shop is pretty much restricted to dogs, cats and goldfish," he said.

The wildlife group is made up of Department of Conservation, Customs and Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry officials, monitoring thefts of native species and alerting ports in case someone tries to smuggle critters to collectors overseas.

Meanwhile, Fat Albert is coping admirably in his temporary enclosure indoors, catching houseflies and a few late-winter rays.

Kevin has the plans for a new, more secure cage, but just needs time, money and manpower.

Once it's built, the organisation will look at the delicate task of tracking down new neighbours for Fat Albert.

• Handy with a hammer? Got some spare building bits? The museum would love to hear from volunteers keen to help re-build a secure gecko lair. Phone (09) 438-9630. Anybody with information about the stolen geckos can contact Whangarei police on (09) 430-4500.

http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/storyprint.cfm?storyID=3699726