Mouse-Weight Wētāpunga Makes a Return to the Wild in New Zealand

New Zealand’s wētāpunga, described as the world’s heaviest insect, is making a comeback after decades of decline and its disappearance from the country’s mainland.

The insect, which can weigh as much as a mouse, has benefited from a breeding and reintroduction programme designed to help rebuild its population in the wild.

Around 11,000 wētāpunga have been released through the programme, supporting a recovery for an insect that had lost its foothold on the mainland.

The releases mark a step forward in efforts to reverse that decline, with numbers now beginning to recover after a prolonged retreat.