NO WAPITI SEEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23970, 21 May 1941, Page 8

NO WAPITI SEEN

SCARCITY OF BIRD LIFE (0.C.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday Reporting to the (lovernment on an expedition for wapiti in the Fiord National Park of the South Island, Mr. K. J. Derrick, a well-known deer stalker of Hawke's Hay, stated that he and the members of his party landed in Hligh Sound. They travelled over a. wide area in search of wapiti, including I lie I'itt River, from tho mouth to the source where it rises in the main divide. No wapiti at all were seen. The party came across tracks of only three separate animals and heard one bull. "I was in I his area two years ago," Mr. Merrick said, "when I saw 22 animals and shot six. They now have completely vacated this area, which we thoroughly explored, nor have they been there in inv opinion in any numbers for the last two months or more. We also explored part of the Wild Native River, but adverse weather and the.flooded state of the river curtailed the expedition. Again we saw nothing except one old track. "Having been visiting different sounds for the last 17 years, 1 was very struck by the absence of bird life. We saw in all only four wekas and heard one kiwi, whereas both these birds used to be very numerous. But what we did see, at an elevation of about 4000 ft. in the snow, were the footprints of two separate stoats or weasels, which, a# you know, are death to bird life."