Press Release
16 February, 2026
A team of lecturers from the Solomon Islands National University (SINU), Faculty of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (FAFF), and the Department of Environmental Studies successfully visited the Tetere Species Recovery Centre (TSRC) in the Guadalcanal Plains on Tuesday, 10 February. The visit, led by FAFF Dean, Dr. Vaeno Vigulu, focused on observing TSRC’s captive breeding program for the Santa Cruz Ground Dove, a species listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
TSRC was established by Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Ltd (GPPOL), in partnership with the Solomon Islands Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) and Toledo Zoo (Ohio, USA), with the primary goal of conserving the Santa Cruz Ground Dove.
The visit provided an opportunity for SINU to explore how TSRC can serve as a platform for research, capacity building, and training in conservation breeding, animal husbandry, and biosecurity. The collaboration is expected to involve both local and international students and researchers, supporting scientific studies and publications that guide future translocations, habitat restoration, preservation of genetic diversity, and long-term management of endangered species.
The visit was coordinated by Narelle Wilson, Conservation Advisor with Toledo Zoo and in-country advisor for TSRC. TSRC staff are led by Martin Prescott, Senior Aviary Keeper at GPPOL, who oversees the daily husbandry and welfare of the Santa Cruz Ground Dove flock. TSRC maintains a productive, healthy, and genetically diverse captive population, serving both as an insurance population and a resource for future reintroductions and genetic rescue.
Both TSRC and SINU recognize that building local capacity and academic expertise in managing captive breeding programs for endangered species, such as the Santa Cruz Ground Dove, is vital for conservation efforts in the Solomon Islands. The Santa Cruz Ground Dove, endemic to the Santa Cruz Islands and northern Vanuatu, was once common across the region but has suffered severe declines due to introduced mammals such as rats, cats, and pigs. In the Solomon Islands, its population is now confined to the island of Tinakula, historically free from rats and cats. Even there, the species faces threats from illegal capture for export, volcanic eruptions, and habitat disturbance caused by introduced pigs.
TSRC warmly welcomes and values SINU’s collaboration in these critical conservation efforts.
ENDS//