A Few Minutes with Andy Johnston

By Nick Heine-Sheldrake

Andy Johnston didn’t mean to become a wildlife expert, but the 25-year-old now finds himself traveling from remote parts of Aotearoa to the other side of the world— all for the love of animals. 

Andy, who grew up in Auckland, was always fascinated with the natural world, which he “didn’t know I was going to dedicate my life to it until university,” he says, “I always loved and appreciated nature.”

After school, Andy moved to Otago, considered “the wildlife capital of Aotearoa,” with its seal and albatross colonies. While Andy started studying psychology, he did a Zoology paper and fell in love with the subject. 

Having finished his Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Andy completed a Master’s in Wildlife Management, and in 2023 moved to Wellington to live with his partner, Clara. 

Nowadays, he’s at Wellington Zoo as part of the visitor engagement team—He had taken a science communication paper, so as a self-diagnosed “recovering theatre kid”, the job coalesces his passions. Andy also runs an Instagram and TikTok page, @andyjohnston.wildlife, posting educational content and documenting his exploits.

Master’s Thesis:

Andy’s Master’s Thesis took him to Mahoenui, in the Western King Country in the Waikato—think due South of Raglan, West-North-West of Taupo. With DOC (the Department of Conservation), Andy researched the Mahoenui Giant Wētā. While there are over a hundred different Wētā species and “11 species of Giant Wētā”; the Mahoenui species is the only Giant Wētā species that still exists in its historic native environment — while some Mahoenui Wētā have been moved, the other Giant Wētā species have been totally translocated.

Curiously, these native Wētā have adapted to live in invasive gorse bushes. Andy calls that relationship a “double-edged sword.”

That summer, Andy was researching not only that relationship, but also the population occupancy data over the last 12 years.

While many of us would be creeped out by the Mahoenui Giant Wētā, Andy loves them, saying how they’re a “really cool species to look at… I think they’re cute and charismatic. They get big, though. Andy recalls that “They found a Wētāpunga that was 70g, which is about the size of a mouse.”

The Wētā are also important in Māori culture. The insects are said to symbolize strength and resilience, but the name can be translated to mean “god of ugly things”. While they aren’t the prettiest insect, their adaptability has let them thrive in harsh gorse bushes. 

Going to Brazil

In 2024, Andy found himself at Refugio da Ilha, a nature reserve in the Pantanal area in Brazil. Andy went there with Clara, who is Brazilian, to meet her family, and to visit the reserve—Andy was extremely grateful that his partner could be a personal translator.

The Pantanal area is remarkable. It’s the “most flooded land in the world.” Andy elaborates, saying “In the rainy season it is completely flooded. When the dry season comes, the water becomes small pockets that are hunting grounds for big cats”

Andy recalls meeting Macaws and Capybaras among many encounters, but one moment proved particularly special.

Andy recalls kayaking with Clara when, all of a sudden, someone from the reserve team told them to come quickly.

Andy describes driving quickly along the roads saying, “We were in a traditional safari-esque car with an open roof and open sides”

They pulled up and parked the car 100m from where the animal was sighted as the sunset cast a beautiful glow. Suddenly, a mother jaguar and her cub appeared.

Andy says, “The mother jaguar stood up and walked across the road towards us, they were just walking down the road, looking around… we watched them slip back down into the bush.”

Andy remembers the adrenaline, saying “When you’re that close to a big animal like that you get an innate feeling in your chest.” 

Andy’s lessons

Having spent much of his adult life, Andy has learned a lot, he firmly says “Our generation’s biggest challenge is climate change.” 

His values are intrinsically tied to nature, saying “We are extremely fortunate to be living in Aotearoa”, and “International we have to be working together to create a healthier, happier future.”

He thinks that there is a lot of work to be done at the policy level, and individually small things like buying FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified products also helps. 

Andy Johnston continues to work hard looking out for the little guy, saying: “Going and seeing things like Jaguars is amazing, but we have to protect small things like Wētā.”