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‘Walking sausage’: the giant stick insect that proves it’s not over till we give up
Also known as the tree lobster, this ultra-rare creature was inadvertently driven to the brink by European settlers
TL;DR
- The Lord Howe Island stick insect (Dryococelus australis) was thought to be extinct.
- Introduced black rats decimated the species on Lord Howe Island shortly after their arrival in 1918.
- A small population was discovered on Ball's Pyramid in 2001, leading to a captive breeding program.
- Thousands have been bred in zoos worldwide, with plans for reintroduction to Lord Howe Island.
- The successful recovery of this rare invertebrate is seen as a story of hope.
- Invasive rats and mice have been confirmed as eradicated from Lord Howe Island in 2025.