Over 500 blue-tailed skinks released on Horsburgh Island to avert extinction

Facing extinction after invasive South-east Asian wolf snakes decimated their numbers on Christmas Island, blue-tailed skinks were bred in captivity and then released on Horsburgh Island in the Cocos (Keeling) archipelago. More than 500 individuals were introduced in July, and officials anticipate that the island’s size and lack of predators could support a population far larger than the earlier sites of Pulu Blan and Pulu Blan Madar, each of which now host around 5,000 skinks.

The effort is led by Parks Australia together with the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, building on a program that grew the captive stock from 66 to about 400. While the ultimate goal is to remove the species from the critically endangered list, returning them to Christmas Island remains unlikely until effective snake control is found. Researchers view the Horsburgh Island release as a major milestone for the species and for the national park’s conservation work.