Latest news with #AdamsWildernessArea
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Grainy phone footage leads to rediscovery of lost species after 46 years
Incredible video taken by a hunter has overturned 46 years of thinking about the extinction of a flightless bird on mainland New Zealand Aotearoa. It had been thought little spotted kiwi (also known as kiwi pukupuku) only survived on small islands and protected areas where it was translocated following significant declines. Luke Hill had been part of a crew tasked with controlling tahr, an invasive species of fast-moving alpine sheep that has adapted to the rugged 46,500-hectare Adams Wilderness Area in the Southern Alps, and if numbers go unchecked, they can destroy plants that provide food and shelter for native species. Like Australia, New Zealand is overrun with feral animals, and it was the attacks from stoats, cats, and ferrets, and dogs, combined with habitat destruction, that led to the decline of the little spotted kiwi. It was close to midnight, and Hill was making his way down to camp through 'tough bush' when he spotted the rare bird. Thinking quickly, Hill whipped out his mobile phone and began to film. The video he took that night (seen below) is grainy, and it's only just possible to make out the small bird behind a fallen log. Related: Concern as rare birds retreat to mountains where giant moa became extinct There are five species of kiwi, and because Hill has a background in conservation, he immediately knew he wasn't looking at one of the common ones. But he was yet to understand the 'magnitude' of his sighting. Hill's footage contained enough information to excite the Department of Conservation, and it choppered out a ranger and his sniffer dog to the remote location. Ranger Iain Graham's mission was to catch one of the birds and extract some of its tiny feathers for DNA testing. Out in the sodden wilderness, he could hear the kiwis 'duetting', distinct calls between a male and female. But the birds proved too fast to catch. 'We were in rough terrain, in typical west coast weather, and I was running out of dry clothes,' he said. With time running out, they captured the female on their final night. He then returned with a colleague and tracked down the male, and both have been fitted with transmitters. All kiwi species are threatened with extinction. Unmanaged populations are declining by two per cent every year. Their eggs are roughly six times bigger than those laid by most birds their size. The last time a little spotted kiwi was seen on the mainland in the wild was 1978. That year, Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta became a global sensation after the release of the movie Grease, disco songs by the Bee Gees were topping the charts, and the total population of New Zealand was just over 3.1 million people. Rare animal hiding in outback photo helps solve decades-long mystery Tourists 'totally outraged' by fishing crew's confronting act at sea Emily King, the leader of the Kiwi Recovery Group, said the rediscovery this year was 'thrilling' for the conservation world. 'Despite years of targeted searching, we hadn't found them until now,' she said. 'We're grateful to the hunter for reporting this and capturing evidence. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, but he pointed us to the right patch to start searching.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Science
- RNZ News
Little spotted kiwi found on New Zealand's mainland for first time in 50 years
A female kiwi pukupuku found in the Adams Wilderness Area, the first in nearly 50 years. Photo: Lucy Holyoake/DOC Conservationists are delighted after a unique kiwi was rediscovered in Aotearoa for the first time in 50 years. The little spotted kiwi, or kiwi pukupuku, was first spotted in the remote Adams Wilderness Area in the West Coast by a Department of Conservation (DOC) hunter. It prompted DOC biodiversity ranger Iain Graham, alongside his conservation dog Brew, to fly in to locate the bird. "I heard kiwi calling the first night - two of them duetting - and immediately knew they didn't sound like other kiwi. It was exciting, but it took a few days to narrow down the area," Graham said. He said the trip was a bit of rollercoaster. "We were in rough terrain, in typical West Coast weather, and I was running out of dry clothes. Brew would find a burrow, but I couldn't get to the bird. We were so frustratingly close," he said. "I was stoked when we finally caught up with the female on our final night, the absolute last chance before getting flown out." Tiny feathers were collected from the small spotted kiwi to confirm the bird was a kiwi pukupuku, the smallest kiwi species. A little spotted kiwi, or kiwi pukupuku. Photo: Tom Lynch Kiwi pukupuku are extremely vulnerable to introduced predators. Until now, it was believed they only survived in offshore islands and fenced predator-free sites. An estimated 2000 of the threatened birds remain, though the population is increasing thanks to the conservation efforts of community groups, agencies, and tangata whenua, DOC said. Despite years of searching, the last known sighting of a kiwi pukupuku on the mainland was in 1978. "Kiwi pukupuku are one of those unique species which make Aotearoa New Zealand so special. I'm not sure how to express how thrilling this rediscovery is for the conservation world," Kiwi Recovery Group leader Emily King said. Kara Edwards, of Kāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio, said the find was an opportunity for hapū to connect with what had been considered a lost taonga. "Knowing kiwi pukupuku have survived this whole time in our takiwā is incredible. We are extremely excited and looking forward to working with DOC to secure the future of kiwi pukupuku." Since the sighting, Graham and Brew have returned to the area and captured a male kiwi. "We'll wait for genetic analysis to confirm, but the measurements look right for a kiwi pukupuku," Graham said. DOC is gathering information to work with Kāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio to explore the future protection and management of these birds. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
