Thread: An odd response..

I had reason to contact DoC in Hawks Bay a year or two ago, I had a picture of an insect I was unsure of and just sent it randomly to their office enquires address.
TBH the response was exceptional, my email was forwarded to a number of different departments, always CCing me in as they tried to find the right entomological expert and addressing me by name in the email chain.

In the end it was a type of native wasp of the non stinging variety but everyone agreed it was a huge bugger.

So yeah, they are not all like @AlwaysLearning 's experience

Originally Posted by imaca

I had reason to contact DoC in Hawks Bay a year or two ago, I had a picture of an insect I was unsure of and just sent it randomly to their office enquires address.
TBH the response was exceptional, my email was forwarded to a number of different departments, always CCing me in as they tried to find the right entomological expert and addressing me by name in the email chain.

In the end it was a type of native wasp of the non stinging variety but everyone agreed it was a huge bugger.

So yeah, they are not all like @AlwaysLearning 's experience

yes but you were dealing with the we save birds woke variety - that type cant be bothered with a hairy non descript ugly recreational hunter --- big no huge differnce

Originally Posted by imaca

I had reason to contact DoC in Hawks Bay a year or two ago, I had a picture of an insect I was unsure of and just sent it randomly to their office enquires address...

Yeah, insects they'll turn themselves inside out for. The whereabouts of 4 legged food type animals are of far far less interest to them.

In the late 1990's I almost trod on an enormous skink when moving a rock. About a foot long type thing.Mentioned it in passing to a DoC type a few months later and he almost started frothing at the mouth..."Where where where!!!!" sort of stuff. I said 'bugger off'. You'll just close the area and make it hard for us to get in there in future."
I neglected to tell him I was moving the rock so I could get my XR250 over the rock lip that was preventing me getting the bike all the way to the Rangitikei river

Originally Posted by XR500

Yeah, insects they'll turn themselves inside out for. The whereabouts of 4 legged food type animals are of far far less interest to them.

In the late 1990's I almost trod on an enormous skink when moving a rock. About a foot long type thing.Mentioned it in passing to a DoC type a few months later and he almost started frothing at the mouth..."Where where where!!!!" sort of stuff. I said 'bugger off'. You'll just close the area and make it hard for us to get in there in future."
I neglected to tell him I was moving the rock so I could get my XR250 over the rock lip that was preventing me getting the bike all the way to the Rangitikei river

Funny that - I had the same sort of thing happen as well. Was hunting a nice little gully, had a good idea there were some deer in the matagouri below us so started to tip over a rock to send down the hill to spook them out. Good thing I was looking cos under that rock was a cool looking lizard about 30cm long, all pinkish on the upper and a bit darker red on the underneath. Carefully replaced rock and looked for another. Well bugger me, there was another under that one as well, about 20cm long, pinkish on top and kinda red crimson on the bottom. Some time later I asked a DoC fella about lizards, big lizards, pinkish lizards. Turns out theyre kinda rare, and very special and must be DoC thing cos he was frothing too. Of course he's badgered me about it time and again to let him know the location. But I figured those lizards had been in that area for yonks, maybe forever, and very few people know about them. They have survived and continue to do so. I dont roll rocks down the hill in that area anymore though.