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Fighting extinction: Lord Howe Island stick insect

Fighting extinction: Lord Howe Island stick insect

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Lord Howe Island stick insect

Melbourne Zoo Archives
Photograph by Rohan Cleave

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Contact Melbourne Zoo for permission to use this image.

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Zoos Victoria

Melbourne Zoo has played a vital role in the conservation and recovery of the Lord Howe Island stick insect.

The Lord Howe Island stick insect population was decimated by introduced rats in 1918. The insect was rediscovered in 2001 by rock climbers on Ball’s Pyramid, a sea stack 23km from the island.

Melbourne Zoo has bred over 9000 of these insects, known as ‘land lobsters’, and sent individuals to other institutions both nationally and globally for breeding and display.

Further information:

Zoos Victoria: Lord Howe Island stick insect

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Story objects

An early Zoo star: Wallace

The Zoo's first hippos stars: William and Rosamund

A true Zoo character: Mollie

A Zoo icon: Queenie

A family favourite: Betty

Orang-utan twins: Bono and Suma

First gorilla baby: Mzuri

A Zoo first: Mali

Early attractions at the Zoo, 1893

Zoo visitors in the 1890s

Donkey and carriage rides, 1900s

Zoo memories from 1940

Train rides for children

Feeding the animals

Zoo poster, c 1950

Zoo carousel, 1970s

Zoo memories from 1980

Zoo employees, 1896

Zoo keeper, 1944

Elephant keeper, 1949

Animal superintendent, 1967

Zoo education staff, 1970s

Primate keeper, 1991

Fighting extinction: inside and outside the Zoo walls

Fighting extinction: Sumatran tigers

Fighting extinction: Asian elephants

Fighting extinction: Lord Howe Island stick insect

Fighting extinction: southern corroboree frog

Fighting extinction: eastern barred bandicoot

Outside the zoo walls: tenkile

Outside the Zoo walls: orang-utan

Outside the Zoo walls: gorilla