The Santa Cruz Ground Dove Recovery Programme

Today, a remarkable international conservation effort is helping to change that story.

Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited (GPPOL) a subsidiary of New Britain Palm Oil Limited (NBPOL) has taken a leading role in the conservation and recovery of the Santa Cruz Ground Dove through the establishment of the Tetere Species Recovery Centre (TSRC) in Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. Working closely with the Solomon Islands Government Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), Toledo Zoo (USA), and Mandai Wildlife Group Singapore, the project has become one of the region’s most significant endangered species recovery initiatives.

At the heart of this effort is the Tetere Species Recovery Centre, a dedicated conservation breeding facility supported and operated by GPPOL. The facility provides daily care, feeding, security, aviary maintenance, and long-term management for the birds, while conservation partners contribute technical expertise, breeding guidance, and international conservation support. Importantly, all Santa Cruz Ground Doves remain under the custodianship of the Solomon Islands Government.

The conservation programme has achieved significant milestones over the past year. In March 2026, the captive population at TSRC reached 85 birds, reflecting continued breeding success and improved husbandry management. The project has now reached an exciting new chapter with the planned repatriation of 15 female captive-bred birds back to the Solomon Islands; a historic moment believed to be the first repatriation of a critically endangered Solomon Islands species from an overseas conservation breeding programme back to its homeland.

To support this effort, GPPOL recently completed major upgrades to the TSRC aviary, including the construction of a dedicated quarantine and biosecurity facility designed to international standards. The upgraded facility includes enhanced security fencing, quarantine holding areas, environmental enrichment, and biosecurity measures to protect both the incoming birds and the existing captive population.

Despite these successes, the challenges remain significant. Illegal poaching, invasive species such as rats, cats, pigs, and yellow crazy ants, as well as ongoing habitat pressures, continue to threaten the species in the wild. For this reason, the current focus is not only on breeding success, but also on building a secure and sustainable future for the Santa Cruz Ground Dove through improved biosecurity, long-term sanctuary planning, research collaboration, and future translocation opportunities.

For NBPOL and GPPOL, this initiative represents far more than a conservation project. It is a commitment to protecting the natural heritage of the Solomon Islands and ensuring that future generations will still have the opportunity to see one of the Pacific’s rarest birds survive and thrive once again.