November 4th, 2008 
Spooky 
Cook Strait Giant Wetas are a species of giant insects that grow to be 10cm long and around 27 grams heavy. Just so you can get an idea, these bugs are about the size of a city rat. They have been extinct on the mainland of New Zealand for more than a century, but the authorities are trying to reintroduce the species to the area, and the first 100 Wetas have been brought to Kraori Wildlife Sanctuary in Wellington, in 2007.
You may think Giant Wetas are hideous and dangerous but the truth is they are passive creatures that feed on fruit and plant and they are less destructive than their smaller cricket brethren. The Wetas are protected from rats and stoats that led to their extinction 100 years ago.
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That’s quite a bug!!! I can’t imagine having one of those things crawling up on me one day while lying around outside.
Just an edit: the sanctuary is spelled “Karori”
Are they eatable?
LOL, holy smokes dude those things are HUGE
Jiff
http://www.datools.echoz.com
i almost a whole bug like that once!
All six legged insects are edible. Not sure how they taste.
Yes. Weta are, after all, just VERY large, flightless Crickets.
If you like crickets, you’ll like Weta.
However, ALL Weta are protected species in New Zealand, so it is a criminal offense to kill (and therefore, eat) one.
Please don’t eat our Weta – they’re brilliant!
What do they sound like? Does anyone have a recording of them?
I, for one, welcome our giant bug overlords.
I would so eat one of those, if they weren’t endangered. It would make a meal!
You should be banned for insulting the grammar gods.
We have some wetas in our garden. They’re my favourite insect here!
It’s not a feature…
yuck…….creepy
Well, I _had_ wanted to visit New Zealand, but now I’m not so sure. Gah!
So, this is because of them that Peter Jackson named his company Weta Digital, eh?
that is crazy
I would be wet if a Weta crawled up on my hand , I would have to change pants .
[...] Wow, those are huge. Here’s a little bit about them and more pictures – Wetas – The Giant Crickets | Oddity Central – Collecting Oddities [...]
Very cool and good stuff.