Isolated French district in the southern Indian Ocean; home to Grande Terre and a rugged ecosystem. In the news as New Zealand reports its heaviest insect rediscovered under Gentoo penguins.
New Zealand’s wētāpunga, the world’s heaviest insect, has moved from endangered to nationally recovering thanks to a large breeding and reintroduction programme. Eleven thousand individuals have been released into predator-free sites, with self-sustaining populations now established on several islands. The program aims to boost overall conservation of native invertebrates.