Fortunately for the Stephens Island tuatara

It did survive a brief mammal invasion

But for some of the other wildlife here

The invasion was rather more catastrophic

The island had been uninhabited and largely ignored

But that all changed with the construction

Of this lighthouse back in 1894

When the newly installed keeper a Mr Lyall

Found an unusual wren on the island

He sent a specimen to London for identification

Like many island birds

It was flightless

And perhaps that's why it wasn't Mr Lyall

Who first discovered the bird

But his four-legged companion

Tibbles proved to be a very efficient specimen collector

So much so

In fact that one year later

When the bird was officially declared a new species

Mr Lyall had to regretfully inform the scientific community at large that

The species was now extinct

In truth

Tibbles wasn't the only feline to blame

But the ease with which the Stephens Island wren had been dispatched was alarming