Date:  14 September 2026

The call centre takes all kinds of queries on wildlife, animals and land managed by DOC. They operate a general enquiries line 0800 ASK DOC and email address info@doc.govt.nz. For conservation emergencies such as stranded whales and injured native species the 0800 DOC HOT number operates 24/7. The call centre teams will deal with up to 1000 calls a week during summer holiday seasons, and more than 40,000 over the course of a year.

But DOC’s Customer Service Team Lead Olivia Tooley says many customers are mistaken about what DOC does – and doesn’t do.

Among the more unusual recent queries was a caller who was adamant DOC should be informed about a UFO they saw drop from the sky to the Tararua Range.

Another recent correspondent voiced their concern about a planned MMA bout between a human fighter and a chimpanzee.

Calls about habitats and wildlife outside DOC’s remit are also frequently logged.

One recent caller requested information on Wellington Zoo – particularly if the animals would be visible – while calls about activity in Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges (managed by Auckland Council) and common pests like wasps, mice and rats are also common.

A concerned child also emailed DOC recently about a ginger cat seen walking across a public reserve. Rats, mice and possums on private property are regularly the subject of calls to DOC.

Olivia says calls about seals are a daily occurrence.

“Seals are a protected species, so DOC is the right agency to call.

“However, some of our callers are unaware of our ‘hands off’ approach to seals: we’ve had queries and concerns about seals appearing very dry and covered in sand on beaches, questions from callers about which fish to feed a seal, and even people who mistakenly believe we have some sort of seal rehab or hospital facility.”

One recent caller even demanded DOC staff come and remove a seal from a stream on his property, where the animal was eating his “pet” eels.

“If a seal is in harm’s way, our great Operations staff will attend – but generally, we leave seals alone and ask the public to do the same.”

Olivia says the team has recorded other calls from people concerned about food and wildlife – including one caller who wanted to know if it was okay to feed a ruru a commercially produced cracker biscuit.

“We consistently urge people not to feed wildlife, no matter how hungry the animals or birds may seem,” she says.

“But we do want to acknowledge there are plenty of situations when calling DOC was the right thing to do – and we appreciate people’s concern for nature.”

Olivia says her staff deal with people who have some very unusual views of the world, but the team members know how to retain their patience and professionalism even on the most challenging and lengthy calls.

“What comes through from many of our calls is people care about nature, and that’s certainly important,” she says.

By the numbers

• For the year ended 31 August 2026, DOC’s Customer Services Teams dealt with 42,637 calls and 22,394 emails.
• 2,977 calls were not relevant to the work of the department (where possible callers are directed to another agency or organisation).
• On a busy day, the business hours Customer Services Team of seven staff will deal with more than 200 phone calls alone.
• Calls tend to spike over the Christmas holiday period – to up to 1000 a week during peak festive season – when many New Zealanders are out naturing, particularly on coastlines.

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