HABITS OF THE KEA.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 47, 24 February 1923, Page 14

HABITS OF THE KEA.

iTo the Eilnnr.. Sir,—ln your issue of January 27th, there is an article in which Mr. J. grige, curator «-f the Wellington Zoo says that the kea certainly seemed to possess no inclination for flesh diet, also that for eight years lie has tended ieveral keas and that they \ve\e quite averse to meat food. I wish to state that from our experience of the keas here in their natural way of living, there is absolutely no doubt that keas kill a large number of sheep and eat sometimes only the kidneys, and other times pick the bones bare of meat. There is one man whom I know in the district who has actually seen keas killing sheep, and musterers liave seen them eating sheep's carcases. We have shot a number of keas since New Year, the majority of which on being opened, were found to have mutton in their stomachs. One runholder kept a kea in captivity, and fed it on mutton alone.—l am. etc.. R. V. TATN'E. Pembroke, Wanaka, Feb, 12, 1923.