THE KEA.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20037, 19 September 1930, Page 4

THE KEA.

MENACE >TO SHEEP FLOCKS. (By a iiigh Country Bheepownor in Canterbury A. and P. Journal.) It is apparent from the oxpressidhs of opinion which have Appeared in the Press at various periods during the last few years that a large number of people still look upon the kea as harmless, and are of opinion that thq allegation that the kea attacks and kills largo numbers of sheep has no foundation. Shoepowners in the high country, unfortunately, have no doubt on . this point, it being repeatedly, brought home to them that, in spite of the quaint habits of this bird, as seen through the spectacles of bird-lovers and theorists, the actual loss from this cause is too serious to be lightly contemplated by the eheepowner and dismissed as of no consequence. On the hill country evidences of the ••avagos of the kea can be seen almost at. any time, have boon shot from the backs of living sheep with fresh kidney fat torn from the living animal fresh in the beak. It is hard.to understand the mental attitude of many of those..who arc not Immediately affected with respoet to hhia matter. One of the strongest arguments that can be adduced in this reepect is that runholders Jn the high country consider it necessary to put on special men, at very great expense, to keep down the keas on account of the litavy losses of sheep from this cause Tin misconception with regard to the Miiabers of sheep killed may be excus«Me in view, of the want of practical knowledge of the subject by many writers to the Press. Not only arc the losses very heavy through direct attack by the kea, but many deaths result also from blood poisoning through sheep being attacked, and germs being introduced into the body of tho sheep from the beaks of keas, which have just previously been feeding on the putrid carcases of previous victims. When it is stated that authorities whp have lived a lifetime in the Southern Alps do not know of a single case ji-rovet' against the kea of killing sheep, all that can be said it that it would appear that they have been singularly fortunate in their location.

In the Springflold district a well known runholder with a lifetime's experience of the district, states that thousands of sheep have been killed by« kca» in that district alone, and are still being, killed. Evidence can bo obtained from runholders on the high country from the hills behind Blenheim, right down the main range to Sauth Otago, of the ravHgcs of the kea among the flocks on the hills , Another sheopownor, recounting his csporiencqs, states that, as the sheep were camping in the evening on a spur, the keas woro seen alighting on the cheep's back. The shoep at once made ,ifl' down the spur, the keas attempting 1-7 alight first on one sheep and then e-i another, Until at last a kea would bo scon to have managed to And one th'iT he could bang on to. To use the slioei'cwner's own words, ho states, "l rau round to a saddle to intercept tho cheep, and just got thore as one of tho sheep which was attacked was going past mc. The kea had his beak «in bedded in the sheep's back, holding on with his claws also. At Intervals, when the sheep paused to get breath, I could re* the kea screwing hU beak rioerer and deeper into tho animal's back, and with each movement the shoep would jump and give an agonised bloat."'

When it is remembered that for every sheep which is known to bo attacked thero must be many thnt can never bo traced in the high country, it will be appreciated that the heavy financial loss is not the only factor to be reckoned with. There la the question or Buffering and cruelty also. To (junto again from the remarks of another iheepowner in the high country; ho states, "I do not know of anything so cruel as whnt the kea does to sheep. The shoop usually linger for some days after their backs have had holes torn in them that you could put your hand in, nnd they oftou walk three or fou* miles into the yard* at mustering time with their kidney* pulled out, ami ahowlng through their ribs. In anothei case, in addition to the kidney* being torn out, the sheep had another l.oie t*in between the ahouldere right down into its lungs, anfr It wae possible to hear the sheep gasping through the hole nt it walked along." Thip man atatoa further, "I would like the kea-lover to try an experiment. Lot lilm take a sheep's skin and cover himself with it, and pretend to be a, sheep while waiting out on some hill with,kens about. He would' be very luckv if they did not attempt to dig into his vitals with their razor-like beaks Iwfore morning." A reduction in the amount of bonus to bfc paid by the Department of Agriculture on kea heads, which was made last year, can only bo attributed to a desire for economy, and on these grounds alono U may possibly have- been justified; but on any other ground,~cspedcJ)y in view of the fact that the Govcrrnment is,the landlord of the country w-tiero the'kca does most damage, it must surely be conceded that thero is justification for waging perpetual war' fare against a peat which has been pvoved to be responsible not only for heavy financial loss on the part of tenants of Government land, but also for an pinount of cruelty to inoffensive animals, which can never be correctly estimated, but wWeh must necessarily be vorj great indeed.