World's rarest insect on display at the San Diego Zoo

[plateOfFlan]

https://www.kron4.com/news/californi...san-diego-zoo/

"San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s entomology team and Australia’s Melbourne Zoo have been working together for over a decade to help sustain populations of the critically endangered Lord Howe Island stick insect.For the first time in North America, you can now view the rare insects in a specialized habitat at the zoo’s Wildlife Explorers Basecamp, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced this week.
The Lord Howe Island stick insect breeding program at the San Diego Zoo works to help sustain populations of the rarest insect in the world. Previously thought to be extinct on the Lord Howe Island Group — a cluster of volcanic islands in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand — and rediscovered in 2001, two pairs were taken to the Melbourne Zoo for breeding to help save the species.
Since 2012, the two zoo’s have been working together to save the species.
Also known as tree lobsters, the Lord Howe Island stick insect is a large, flightless, nocturnal insect that can grow up to 6 inches in length."

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/anim...d-stick-insect

There may only be 20-30 left in the wild.

[Bogertophis]

Wow, that's amazing work! That's one thing I really miss about living in So. Calif.- going to the San Diego Zoo, also the L.A. Zoo & the Living Desert in Palm Springs.

[MrMoyb]

When I read the thread title, I hoped it was going to be about these guys. Very cool.