Endangered species

Items that are prohibited and or restricted entry into New Zealand.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is designed to prevent trade in endangered, threatened, or exploited species:

• ivory in any form, including jewellery, and carvings
• tortoise or sea turtle shell jewellery, and ornaments
• meat or food derived from whales, dolphins, rare crane, and pheasants, or sea turtles
• medicines containing musk, or rhinoceros or tiger derivatives such as ground horn or bone
• carvings or other things made from whalebone or bone from other marine mammals
• cat skins
• trophies of  sea turtles, all big cats, rare reptiles, cranes, pheasants, bears, antelope, and deer
• live species, including pet eagles, hawks, owls and parrots, many cacti, orchids, cycads, and cyclamens

CITES covers alive or dead plants and animals, and any products made from them. This includes souvenirs.

You need a special permit (Department of Conservation) to bring these items into or out of New Zealand.