DURRELL has played a key role in saving a tiny, rare gecko from being attacked by big-headed ants in Mauritius.

In December, 142 lesser night gecko eggs were transported from Jersey Zoo to the Indian Ocean island to help support the lost genetic diversity in the species, after they were impacted following the MV Wakashio oil spill in 2020, which released roughly 1,000 tonnes of fuel into the Indian Ocean after it struck a coral reef.

This was the second translocation of gecko eggs, after 57 eggs had been transported earlier in 2025. The first reintroduction which had been deemed a huge success, after 88% of the eggs hatched, with the little geckos rejoining the wild population on the Mauritian islet of Ilot Vacoas.

The second release – while mirroring the first – did not go to plan after it became clear in January that many of the eggs were being attacked by big-headed ants, an invasive species in Mauritius.

The monitoring showed that 25% of the eggs that were thought to have hatched had clear signs of predation, and for a further 55%, it was not possible to tell if the geckos had survived or had also been predated on. Ants were also turning many of the unhatched eggs, which can kill the developing embryo.

The remaining 91 unhatched eggs were quickly collected and taken to a biosecure facility at the premises of the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation.

Once there, the team were able to monitor the eggs daily, and within 28 hours of any geckos hatching, they were released on Ilot Vacoas in the evenings. This approach led to 68 geckos being successfully released. The remaining eggs likely failed to hatch due to being turned by the big-headed ants before the team were able to collect them.

Speaking about this release, Dr Nik Cole, Durrell’s Island Restoration Manager, said  “We were surprised to find so many ants attacking the eggs, especially when the initial release had gone so well.

“Our quick response and coordination with our partners meant we were able to save over half of the eggs from Jersey Zoo, where very few would have survived had we not reacted.

“We pride ourselves at Durrell at being nimble and being able to react quickly to new challenges and improve conservation outcomes, and this is a perfect example of this. We now hope to incubate, and hand release future eggs, which will ensure the survival of many more geckos.”