DESTRUCTION OF KEAS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22835, 20 March 1936, Page 7

DESTRUCTION OF KEAS

URGED BY RUNHOLDERS MENACE TO SHEEP FLOCKS (From Oue Special Reporter) QUEENSTOWN, March 19. Assistance in the destruction of keas in the high country of Central Otago was sought by a deputation from the Lake County Council which waited on the Minister of Public Works (Mr R. Semple) at Queenstown to-day. Mr W. S. Reid, an up-country runholder, stated that one of the greatest difficulties with which the settlers had to contend in connection with keas was the National Park area at Mount Cook, where the birds were protected. They bred freely in that district. and spread all up and down the Southern Alps, preying on sheep in the high country. The Native Bird Protection Society might be afraid of the extinction of the keas, but those who knew the position were of the opinion that keas would never be wiped out for the reason that no one had ever found a kea's nest. The persons best fitted to destroy the keas were the deer cullers operating in the high country, but they were offered no inducement, -while others were able to claim a subsidy on the keas killed. Mr Reid asked that it should be made possible for keas to be destroyed in the Mount Cook area and also that deer cullers should be offered a reward for killing the birds. The Minister said there certainly seemed to be anomalies, and he would bring the matter before the Minister concerned There might be difficulties in allowing the shooting of the birds in the National Park area, since it would be difficult to ensure that only keas would be destroyed, but he did not think there would be any difficulty in giving deer, stalkers some encouragement to rid the sheep farmers of that particular pest.