Conservation Centre Receives Unusual Calls on Wildlife and Land Management

The Department of Conservation's call centre receives up to 1000 calls per week, handling over 40,000 inquiries annually. For the year ending August 31, 2026, the centre received 42,637 calls and 22,394 emails, with 2977 deemed not relevant. Reports included a human fighting a chimpanzee, eel-eating seals, and a UFO sighting. Callers are often directed to other agencies or organizations where possible.