Anchor Island

This article is about the island in New Zealand. For the island in Canada's Nunavut Territory, see Anchor Island (Nunavut).

Anchor Island

Native name: Pukenui
Anchor Island – from the East
Anchor Island
Geography
Location	Dusky Sound
Coordinates	45°45′30″S 166°31′0″E
Area	11.37 km^2 (4.39 sq mi)[1]
Highest elevation	417 m (1368 ft)
Administration
New Zealand
Demographics
Population	0

Anchor Island (Māori: Pukenui) is an island in Dusky Sound in Fiordland.^[2]

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "large hill" for Pukenui.^[3]

The island is situated southwest of the much larger Resolution Island in the inlet area of Dusky Sound and surrounded by many smaller islands and contains four small lakes, including Lake Kirirua, the largest lake on an island in Fiordland.^[4]

The island is part of the Fiordland National Park and since 2005 is one of few island sanctuaries that are home to the critically endangered kākāpō (or night parrot).

Red deer and stoats had been eradicated between 2001 and 2005, and subsequently endangered endemic birds including tīeke (saddleback), mohua (yellowhead) and kākāpō, have been relocated to the island. The island is one of only nine islands in the area that is completely free of introduced mammalian pests and is 2.5 km (1.6 mi) from the New Zealand mainland, which makes it relatively safe from repeat incursions by stoat and deer.^[5][6]

Anchor Island is one of the predator free islands as part of the Fiordland Islands restoration programme, the programmes focus is to eradicate pests and translocate native species.^[7]

Kākāpō

Juvenile kākāpō on Anchor Island in Dusky Sound

Pukenui is home to the endangered species kākāpō. The first kākāpō were transferred to Pukenui in 2005 after stoat eradication in 2001. These birds are managed by the Kākāpō Recovery Team, which is a part of the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Pukenui has rimu forest, an important food source for the species.

The first known breeding of kākāpō on Pukenui occurred in 2011, leading to two infertile eggs.^[8] Kākāpō breed again on the island for the 2016 and 2019 kākāpō breeding seasons. As of 23 January 2022, all mature female kākāpō on the island have bred. Nests have been found for 17 of the 21 birds.^[9]

See also

• List of islands of New Zealand
• List of islands
• Desert island

References

1. "Tamatea/Dusky Sound conservation and restoration plan" (PDF). Department of Conservation. p. 20. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
2. "Anchor Island, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
3. "1000 Māori place names". New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 6 August 2019.
4. "Lake Kirirua, Southland – NZ Topo Map". NZ Topo Map. Land Information New Zealand. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
5. "Project implementation: Fiordland Island restoration programme". Department of Conservation. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
6. "FCT Newsletter 'Jigsaw'" (PDF). Fiordland Conservation Trust. August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
7. "Project implementation". www.doc.govt.nz. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
8. "Kakapo successfully mate on Anchor Island". Stuff. 15 January 2016. Retrieved 24 January 2022.
9. Digby, Andrew [@takapodigs] (23 January 2022). "Yesterday we found two new #kakapo nests on Pukenui/Anchor: JEM and Roha (pictured). We've now found nests for all but 4 of the 21 females on the island; they've all mated. #kakapo2022 #conservation https://t.co/NptwfuGzfa" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 January 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022 – via Twitter.