KEAS IN BERLIN ZOO

Southland Times, Issue 23815, 12 May 1939, Page 14

KEAS IN BERLIN ZOO

German Director’s Appreciation

“LOVELY NATURE OF THESE BIRDS”

(Special to The Times)

DUNEDIN, May 11.

About two years and a-half ago> a German wool buyer, when in Dunedin after returning from a trip to the Eglinton valley, where he had seen some keas or New Zealand mountain parrots, expressed a wish to secure for the zoological gardens in Berlin one or more of these interesting birds. Mr Arthur Paape, of Dunedin, took the matter in hand and was successful in obtaining from the vicinity of the Homer tunnel eight keas for shipment to Germany on behalf of the wool buyer referred to. , These birds were on exhibition _in Dunedin for some weeks while awaiting shipment, and attracted a great deal of interest. Some months ago a German short wave broadcasting station in Berlin calling Dunedin announced that keas from New Zealand were proving of great interest to visitors at the zoo, and a letter has now reached Dunedin from the Director of the Zoological gardens in Berlin enclosing some photographs of the keas and stating that they have become quite acclimatized and spend both summer and winter in the open air. The letter states: “Visitors to the gardens, and we ourselves, rejoice over the lovely nature of these birds and their loud calls. They represent one of the most interesting varieties in our collection, and now that they have become accustomed to the food we give them we hope to keep them for a long time.” The kea, whose habitat is the high country forming the shoulders of the Southern Alps, is alleged by the runholders whose territory extends into these regions to be a killer of sheep, but there is not a general agreement that the kea attacks sheep while still alive.