UNWELCOME ALIENS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 71, 24 March 1926, Page 8

UNWELCOME ALIENS

CHUKOR IN NORTH ISLAND

ACCLIMATISATION DIITICrLTY.

: . (By Tcteiripli.) .. (Special to "TM Ewiilil|f|Ht.») AUCKLAND, Thta Day. Tho differential treatment meted ««t by the Government to the Waimarino Acclimatisation Society m : eonpared with its southern competitor* ia regard to liberation of the Indian ■prating bird, the chukor (a apteiet of .partridge), in the Dominion is .the subject . of warm criticism on the part of those interested in game matter*. Briefly the position* as stated by the. "New Zealand Herald," is that ti* Internal Af- . fairs Department, under whose control . the subject comes, is allowing the North Canterbury and Otago societies - to import the ehukor for the hills of the South Island, but will riot permit the Waimarino Society,-, which has » consignment of birds already to hand, - to set them free u desired ia the een< tro of the North Island. Borne four and a half years ago the'Otago Acelimat'M- , tion Society made an effort to briaf some of the birds front India,1 but without success, the whole consignment dy» ing on the voyage. Now the sam» society has 50 brace on order, and tM North Canterbury Society tS brace. These* are understood to be already of the way and to be due for arrival abouiV August; and arrangements for theii liberation on the southern hills hart been announced. Recently the Waimar< ino Acclimatisation Society; whoe* district bounds the Tongariro National Park on its western side, was present©* with about five dozen ehukor, whiet were landed in Auckland sir montlt ago. They were obtaftted through the authorities of the, Calcutta Zoo at a cost of about .£BO, having been cap- ' tured in the Cashmere Hills district at the base of the Himalayas; A permit for the distribution of the birds was sought from the Internal Affairs Department, and pending its receipt they had been housed at the: Auckland Zoe,. where they are still. The i>ep*rti»«rt however, seems to- be rather reluctant . to issue the necessary authority.. The.' Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hob. R. F. Bollard) recently stated that he would be delighted to give the society. the permit if the National Park Board did not object. Since then the beard has placed on record a resolution to the effect that if the birds are freed at Waimarino it should be done as far as possibles from the boundary of tk.» park. Still the Department has m*4« no move in the matter.' ' \ v