Anchor Island

{{Short description|Island of New Zealand}}

{{About|the island in New Zealand|the island in Canada's Nunavut Territory|Anchor Island (Nunavut)}}

{{use New Zealand English|date=August 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

{{Infobox islands

| name = Anchor Island

| native_name = {{lang|mi|Pukenui}}

| image_name = Anchor Island Puke Nui Fiordland New Zealand Aotearoa.jpg

| image_caption = Anchor Island – from the East

| locator_map =

| map_caption =

| nickname =

| location = Dusky Sound

| coordinates = {{coord|45|45|30|S|166|31|0|E|region:NZ_type:isle_scale:500000|display=inline,title}}

| map = New Zealand

| archipelago =

| total_islands =

| major_islands =

| area_km2 = 11.37

| area_footnotes ={{cite web|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/Documents/our-work/dusky-sound-restoration-plan.pdf|title=Tamatea/Dusky Sound conservation and restoration plan|page=20|publisher=Department of Conservation|accessdate=17 October 2017}}

| length_km =

| width_km =

| highest_mount =

| elevation_m = 417

| population = 0

| population_as_of =

| density_km2 =

| ethnic_groups =

| country = New Zealand

| additional_info =

}}

Anchor Island ({{langx|mi|Pukenui}}) is an island in Dusky Sound in Fiordland.{{cite web|title=Anchor Island, Southland – NZ Topo Map|url=http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz13457/Anchor-Island/Southland|website=NZ Topo Map|publisher=Land Information New Zealand|accessdate=13 October 2017}}

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "large hill" for {{lang|mi|Pukenui}}.{{Cite web|url=https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/1000-maori-place-names|title=1000 Māori place names|publisher=New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage|date=6 August 2019}}

The island is situated southwest of the much larger Resolution Island in the inlet area of Dusky Sound and surrounded by many smaller islands and contains four small lakes, including Lake Kirirua, the largest lake on an island in Fiordland.{{cite web|title=Lake Kirirua, Southland – NZ Topo Map|url=http://www.topomap.co.nz/NZTopoMap/nz13459/Lake-Kirirua/Southland|website=NZ Topo Map|publisher=Land Information New Zealand|accessdate=16 October 2017}}

The island is part of the Fiordland National Park and since 2005 is one of few island sanctuaries that are home to the critically endangered kākāpō.

Red deer and stoats had been eradicated between 2001 and 2005, and subsequently endangered endemic birds including tīeke (saddleback), mohua (yellowhead) and kākāpō, have been relocated to the island. The island is one of only nine islands in the area that is completely free of introduced mammalian pests and is {{convert|2.5|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the New Zealand mainland, which makes it relatively safe from repeat incursions by stoat and deer.{{cite web|url=http://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/habitats/offshore-islands/fiordland-islands/project-implementation/|title=Project implementation: Fiordland Island restoration programme|publisher=Department of Conservation|accessdate=13 October 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.fiordlandconservationtrust.org.nz/system/files/documents/FCT-newsletter-Aug2012.pdf|title=FCT Newsletter 'Jigsaw'|publisher=Fiordland Conservation Trust|date=August 2012|accessdate=16 October 2017|archive-date=7 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207090453/http://fiordlandconservationtrust.org.nz/system/files/documents/FCT-newsletter-Aug2012.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Anchor Island is one of the predator free islands as part of the Fiordland Islands restoration programme, the programmes focus is to eradicate pests and translocate native species.{{Cite web|title=Project implementation|url=https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/fiordland-islands/project-implementation/|access-date=1 February 2022|website=Department of Conservation|language=en-nz}}