Tuatara
The tuatara has survived over 100 million years and is our very own living dinosaur.
It is labeled as a ‘living fossil’ as its origins date back to the Triassic period. Until colonisation, the tutatara had no natural predators, it is now an endangered species due to the introduction of rats which decimated the population. Rainbow Springs Kiwi Wildlife Park has the only living tuatara in Rotorua and they love caring for the relic.