History of Takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) is an example of what kind of conservation program has the capacity to restore species as in this case it was given up as a total loss New Zealand’s flightless birdIt has been considered extinct since the 19th century.
Found on New Zealand’s South Island, this prehistoric species, characterized by its intense red beak and very striking blue plumage, has become a symbol for conservationists as it represents the ‘resurrection’ of a creature. Species declared extinct in 1898 and what isCurrently there are already more than 440 copiesAccording to the latest data from the New Zealand Department of Conservation, going back to 2021.
Takahe’s return to life dates back to B.C. 1948, physicist Geoffrey Orbell and his team discover the last samples Wild species of this species were subsequently presumed extinct for 50 years. The last survivors of this species were spotted in the grasslands of the Murchison Mountains above Lake Te Anau in the Fiordland region.
Orbell’s discovery launched a long conservation program that initially focused on nature. Protecting species on four predator-free islands (Te Hoiere, Mana, Kapiti and Tiritiri Matangi) and experienced one of its major turning points with the establishment of the Burwood Takahé Centre, where wild eggs are artificially incubated and reared before being returned to their natural habitat.
The repopulation continued in 2010, when these birds were raised by their own parents in this center and other shelters. In 2018, the species was reintroduced into Kahurangi National Park.
This was not a short or easy process; because the recovery has suffered severe ups and downs, particularly in 2007, when the cactus invasion halved the takahé population in the Murchison Mountains. Already in 2016 the number of specimens recovered and the takahé population continued to grow steadily.
spiritual birds
According to the New Zealand Department of Conservation, takahé has “particular cultural, spiritual and traditional significance” to Ngāi Tahu. iwi, a Maori tribe from most of New Zealand’s South Island.
The bond between the tribe and this bird is so close that they consider the takahé a “taonga” (treasure) and even act as “kaitiaki” (protectors) in cooperation with the country’s Ministry of Conservation to ensure the protection of the bird. species.
This species can live 16 to 18 years in the wild and 20 to 22 years in sanctuaries. They generally live in grasslands, except when it snows heavily and thick layers of snow form, forcing them to move into forested areas. They eat starch-rich leaves from shrubs and reeds.
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