A new kākāpō chick has hatched on Fiordland's Anchor Island, for the first time in 26 years.
Seven-year-old Tiwhiri, a first-time mother, hatched
the chick. It was discovered by rangers working in the kākāpō recovery
programme.
The first hatching of the breeding season has been
described as a dream start by Department of Conservation (DOC)
Operations Manager Deidre Vercoe.
"To date, 37 females across the two southern islands
have mated and we expect most of them will nest, although egg fertility
may be an issue."
There's also a lot of attention on another pregnant
mother, Kuia. The 18-year-old bird has two eggs due to hatch soon. She's
one of three siblings with the unique genes of father Richard Henry,
the last remaining Fiordland kākāpō, who died in 2010.
"Her offspring will help maintain genetic diversity in the population", says Ms Vercoe.
Post a Comment