Lost Wonders

The story of the lost wonders of New Zealand's natural history: the extinct species that are now gone forever. Lost Wonders also features some key species that are on the brink - critically endangered - and the efforts that are being made to save them for future generations.

moa • piopio • huia • laughing owl • grayling • meriki • Hutton's rail • Haast's eagle • Chatham Island bellbird • bush wren • adzebill • Chatham Islands fernbird • Eyles' harrier • greater short-tailed bat • Hawkins' rail • kawekaweau • koreke • Lyall's wren • moho • South Island snipe • whekau

These are just some of the lost wonders of Aotearoa. Here are their stories.

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Illustrated with line drawings by Phoebe Morris, this book tells true stories about our lost and threatened species and the people involved in their extinction and/or recovery. The tales of these fascinating creatures - birds, insects, reptiles and plants - are delivered in an entertaining and accessible style, drawing on research and first-hand accounts and delving into the social climate in New Zealand at the time when the extinctions occurred. Perfect for confident readers aged 8-12.

Featured species include those that are long gone, such as New Zealand's dinosaurs; those that disappeared following the human habitation of New Zealand, including the moa, piopio, huia, laughing owl and native fish the grayling; those that were lost and found, such as the takahe, taiko, the flowering vine Tecomanthe speciosa and the weevils of Canterbury; and those at risk of extinction: among them the kakapo, Maui dolphin, kauri and whitebait.