Large Prehistoric Flightless Bird Takahē Roams New Zealand Again After 100 Years of Extinction

Takahē, a sizable species of prehistoric flightless bird that spent 100 years on the verge of extinction in the wild, is once again wandering New Zealand as a result of successful conservation efforts.

Takahē: Large Prehistoric Flightless Bird

Some say that the Takahē is one of the peculiar creatures on Earth. They originated in an environment devoid of native land mammals, much like several New Zealand birds, and evolved to occupy the ecological niches that mammals would normally occupy. They inhabit the highlands, cannot fly, and are roughly fifty cm tall. According to fossil evidence, they were present in Aotearoa at least during the prehistoric Pleistocene epoch.

Ngāi Tahu resident Tūmai Cassidy described them as having a somewhat primitive appearance. Their blue-green feathers and nearly spherical bodies give them the appearance of a model of Earth seated atop two long, vibrant red legs when viewed from the front.

Ngāi Tahu rangatira or elder Tā Tipene O'Regan claimed that Ngāi Tahu was originally referred to as the "land of the birds that walk." The sight of these enormous birds scurrying back into tussock areas where they haven't walked in more than a century is one of nature's most breathtaking sights.

Reintroduction and a Conservation Victory

In the South Island of New Zealand's alpine Lake Whakatipu Waimāorivalley, 18 of the birds were released last week onto slopes where they had not been seen for about 100 years. It is especially significant for Ngai Tahu, the tribe that owns the lands and endured a protracted court battle to have them returned; it signifies the return of the birds that their ancestors coexisted within the areas they battled to reclaim.

The resurgence of wild takah populations in New Zealand is a carefully applauded conservation success and a revival of one of the rarest animals on the entire planet. The birds' already-decreased population had been decimated by the entrance of European settlers' companion animals, including stoats, cats, ferrets, and rats. They had been officially proclaimed extinct in 1898. They were rediscovered in 1948, and today there are about 500 of them, with a yearly population growth rate of 8%.

Artificial Intubation and Sock Puppets

To stop them from being eaten by predators, conservationists first collected the eggs and gave them artificial incubation. The workers dressed as the birds' distinctive red beaks in sock puppets fed and cared for the chicks as they developed. The Department of Conservation (DOC), which switched to rearing the birds in captivity and substantially invested in trapping and pest elimination to safeguard the birds, gradually moved the birds to certain island sanctuaries and national parks.

The operations manager for DOC Takahē rehabilitation Deidre Vercoe noted that stoat, ferret, and feral cat trapping has reduced the number of predators and that it is essential to keep the predator population low.

The plan is to release up to 10 juvenile takahē early next year, and another seven of the birds in October if the recently released pairs settle in well. Vercoe was circumspectly optimistic. It's exciting to focus on creating more wild populations after decades of laboring to boost the takahē population, but there are difficulties involved; creating new wild native species populations can take time, and success is not always guaranteed.

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The government along with the Indigenous group that will house them are working closely together to develop the nation's third wild takahē population through the release on the Ngāi Tahu land area.

Cassidy claims that for Māori, the rewilding of the birds into the valley had great significance. The feathers of the birds were collected and sewn into cloaks by the Ngāi Tahu ancestors, who revered them.

Wild takahē's demise happened about the same time as a lot of the tribe's land was taken, sold, or vandalized. Local Māori at the time gave these mountain peaks the name "Lands of Tears," or Kā Whenua Roimata. Now, O'Regan hopes that manuhiri or guests will appreciate the close-by takahē call that emanates from the valley floor.