Police have arrested a man for the theft of geckos stolen in raids in Whangarei and Warkworth.
Twenty-three geckos were snatched last week: seven from the Whangarei Museum and 16 of the rare green variety from the Ti Point Reptile Park.
Whangarei police says they recovered 15 geckos on Tuesday in a search of a rural property west of the city.
After an investigation involving Customs and the Conservation Department (DoC), they've arrested a 19-year-old unemployed man and charged him with burglary.
The rescued geckos are now in the safe custody of DoC.
