The wētāpunga, the world's heaviest insect, is showing signs of recovery in New Zealand following a large-scale reintroduction program. This giant wētā, which can grow up to 20 cm in length and weigh up to 75 grams, was once classified as endangered due to habitat loss and the arrival of non-native predators such as rats and stoats. A report published in the New Zealand Journal of Zoology on October 2 revealed that the wētāpunga population is now officially "increasing" after the release of 11,000 individuals into the wild over the past fifteen years. The project involved breeding tens of thousands of wētāpunga at a wildlife protection center and the Auckland Zoo. These insects were then reintroduced to predator-free islands and mainland reserves in the north of the country. Chris Green, a researcher at the New Zealand Department of Conservation, emphasized the success of the program, noting that forty-five transfers to natural habitats have been completed—an impressive number for species restoration. Monitoring on two islands has shown the establishment of self-sustaining populations, with individuals of the fourth or fifth generation born locally identified. This has led to a change in the species' conservation status from "endangered at the national level" to "increasing at the national level." To raise young wētāpunga, specific techniques were developed, including a diet based on fresh foliage, protein-rich fish flakes, and vegetative litter. According to Green, proteins were deemed "essential" to the survival of young nymphs, the early stage of the wētāpunga's life cycle. New Zealand is particularly vulnerable to biodiversity loss because it has a high number of species found nowhere else in the world, known as endemic species. The country faces challenges from invasive species, which often outcompete or prey on native wildlife. Experts note that New Zealand is at the forefront of efforts to restore invertebrate populations, and Green hopes this initiative will encourage other institutions to implement similar efforts to aid wildlife protection.