Eight kakapo taken to Codfish Island

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 9

Eight kakapo taken to Codfish Island

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

Eight of one of New Zealand’s most rare and endangered birds — the kakapo, or flightless parrot — have been shifted from Stewart Island to the predator-free Codfish Island 4km away. The eighth kakapo, a male called Ben, is one of the 50 kakapo known to be left on Stewart Island where the remaining birds are threatened by wild cats.

For the last 10 years the Wildlife Service, and now the Conservation Department have been preparing Codfish for the kakapo to be shifted.

Some have already been shifted to the similarly predator-free Little

Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf. But Stewart Island is the only known breeding population of kakapo, although some birds are known to be still alive in the wild in Fiordland and north-west Nelson. Codfish is a bushcovered scenic reserve, but a campaign was needed to eradicate opossums and wekas because these are competing species.

Both wekas and opossums were introduced on to Codfish early this century.

The transfer was assisted by the Associate Minister of Conservation, Ms Wilde, who is on Stewart Island.

She has been talking to Stewart Islanders about several conservation

issues there, including plans to protect Masons Bay, which has led to a dispute between the Conservation Department and the local residents.

Ms Wilde also inspected the impact of salmonfarming in Big Glory Bay. The department plans to transfer up to 25 kakapo to Codfish Island as part of a five-year programme.

The birds are caught in the Pegasus Bay study area on Stewart Island after being tracked by specially trained and muzzled dogs. When located, the birds have small transmitters attached before being released immediately. They are caught again just before transfer, and the transmitters are removed.