I’ll never fail to be
amazed and baffled at how we, as a species can do things like this. No matter
how many times I hear the story, and no matter which creature happens to be the
focus of it this time, I will never understand how we can take one of Mother
Nature’s amazing creations and crush it nearly right out of existence.
It’s got an
interesting, almost musical name: Kakapo. A person could almost make a song out
of that. It’s actually a Maori word meaning “Night Parrot”. These endemically
New Zealand birds earned that unique name, as they are the only nocturnal
parrots in the world. These are the only parrots in existence that wake up and
begin their day, just as the sun is sinking below the horizon.
But they’ve got a
second name, too, and it’s even more interesting. Its genus, or generic, name
is “Strigops”. It’s a combination of ancient Greek words that come together to
mean “Owl Face”. And, sure enough, when you look into its soft, speckled face,
with its gentle eyes, it is a bit reminiscent of that other nocturnal bird.
But here’s the thing
that will make the Kakapo impossible to miss, if you ever happen to be out New
Zealand way. As you stand in the forest, there, surrounded by those tall, green
trees and lush plant life, staring up at the blue, blue skies watching, waiting
for your first sighting of Kakapo, you might just feel him race across your -- toes!!
Kakapo is the only flightless parrot known to exist.
Large and stout, but
with soft feathers, Kakapo looks a little bit like a big, green teddy bear
darting around the forest floor, and there are some reports that they can sort
of act like it, too. In years past they’ve been kept as a cuddly pet and have
been described as being very affectionate. (Check out YouTube for some good Kakapo videos.)
Now why would you want
to do anything to these beautiful and amazing birds but admire them and learn
about them?
They used to number by
the thousands. They thrived in every part of New Zealand. Then, along came
settlement. Forest was cleared for farmland and towns. Ships brought rats and
rabbits. People brought cats and dogs to take care of the rats and rabbits. And
all developed a taste for Kakapo meat.
Not having the ability
to fly off used to be beneficial for these birds. Blending in with plants on
the forest floor, they were beautifully hidden from the predatory birds.
Being confined to the forest floor made them easy prey for those cats and dogs.
Not to mention the people.
Sadly, by the mid 80’s,
those thousands of birds had been reduced to about 65 remaining specimens. At
one point they were actually believed to have been driven to complete
extinction, until, thankfully, a number were found in a remote area.
Now the question was
what to do? The conservation effort has actually been quite incredible. A
recovery group has been formed, and they’ve gotten right to work.
First, the government
of New Zealand actually set aside a couple of Islands just for the Kakapo! That’s
amazing all by itself. Next, efforts were made to eradicate any remaining rats
or feral cats from these areas, making them predator free and safe for the
Kakapo. Here the remaining birds were set free to live in peace and safety.
The scientists
found that the birds, who only procreate once every seven years or so, will
actually produce more males or females -- depending on what food the Mother
bird is eating? Pretty wild! So the scientists began producing the right foods
to ensure an equal balance of both genders.
Guess what? As of a
count made a bit more than a year ago, there were around 125 birds! Recovery is
on its way!
We, as a species, made
this mess. But maybe we can be a little proud that some of us were just smart
enough to figure out how to begin to fix it.
And try not to do it
again,
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