Orokonui Ecosanctuary wildlife

No new species were introduced to the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in the past year, and its focus has been ensuring those species already there are settling in.

• Orokonui ponders winter cuts

"Everything is breeding and nesting - except the kiwi, as they're too young," general manager Chris Baillie said.

The highlight of the year was the arrival of further rare tokoeka kiwi in October bringing the population to 15, she said. So far staff were unable to track only one, and believed its tracker had failed.

Another six captive kaka also arrived, bringing the population in the ecosanctuary to 21.

"They're finding their own nest sites ... there are a lot fledging out there."

Staff were tracking 10 breeding pairs of South Island Robins which had produced about eight new chicks.

The saddlebacks had a good winter, with no losses and 12 were resident in the ecosanctuary.

Ms Baillie said while the numbers seemed quite small compared with those on off-shore sanctuaries, they were good for a sanctuary where the birds could fly away.

In coming months, transfers of jewelled gecko and tuatara were planned.

The tuatara had survived three winters in a special enclosure in the ecosanctuary and the arrival of more would mean some could be released into the ecosanctuary within a mouse-proof area.

The ecosanctuary was still trying to get on top of the mouse problem - the only introduced pest that it had not been able to eradicate.

Staff believed they were entering through one of the 50 culverts during heavy rain and were working on ways to prevent that happening.

Otago Natural History Trust chairman Neville Peat said it had also been a strong year for ecological restoration and the programme for planting rare plants and revegetation around the visitor centre had moved ahead.