New danger to rare birds

Press, 17 June 1982, Page 1

New danger to rare birds

PA Wellington Radio transmitters on all endangered bird species will be removed immediately 'as a result of a smuggling tipoff to the New Zealand Wildlife Service. . The Service’s director, Mr Ralph- Adams, said it had been learnt, through an undisclosed source, that a high price had been offered for a kakapo by an overseas collector. . ■ Twenty endangered birds are at present equipped with

radio transmitters, which enable them .to be. easily located in the bush for study purposes. “Blit they are a dead giveaway for anyone else wanting to locate and capture the birds for illicit purposes,” Mr Adams said. “Trading in endangered species is a big business overseas and high prices are paid for mounted birds by collectors. As a result, we are having to take drastic action and have sent out

officers to remove al! transmitters from kakapo and takahe,” he said. New Zealand might have less than 50 kakapo left in the wild, and as few as 15 of these were female, Mr Adams said. He said there were strong indications that trading of endangered species was related to drug trafficking! In a recent, major drug-raid by police hear Gisborne, a man was found with two kiwis in his possession. \

“We believe mounted birds are smuggled out of New' Zealand to pay for drugs coming in,” he said. The removal of the birds’ transmitters would have a dramatic effect oh the Wildlife Service’s research programmes. “We will have to re-evalu-ate these as soon as possible,” Mr Adams said. “But there is no doubt our work will be made just that much harder.” • . - .- ■