A special day in Oruawharo Bay.

Derek, the moko skink, had been for an off island adventure after he got scooped up in some Aotea beach rubbish and transported to the mainland by mistake, and now he is back experiencing of his new home.

The kind person who discovered Derek amongst the rubbish contacted DOC to ask if it was okay to just release Derek on the Coromandel where he had ended up.

Good job he asked because moko skink are not common everywhere else and in fact Derek might have been very lonely elsewhere.

Sue Moore releasing Derek into his new home

The good people at DOC (I think with help from Auckland Zoo) managed to take care of Derek, keeping him hydrated, fed and happy until he could be brought back out to Aotea.

Derek seemed pleased with his new house and has probably already met some other moko skink friends. The muehlenbeckia covered dunes in Medlands are a great place for a moko skink to start a family and hopefully Derek will do just that once he has settled in.

Welcome back, Derek!