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I have just adopted

Another egg has hatched. This time it is an even more important event. The mother is Kuia, aged 14, and it her first offspring, Kuia is the daughter of Richard Hemry, the last kakapo ever caught on the South Island.

When conservationist ps started capturing birds in the Fiordlands (South Island) in the 1970s they found 14 birds, all mature males. It looked like the species was doomed to extinction until a small population was found on Stewart Island. They were barely hanging on. Stoats had never reached the island but cats had and the cats were preying heavily on the birds. The island was made cat free but eventually the kakapo population were moved to three other islands.

Richard Henry only fathered three chicks, Sinbad, Gulliver and Kuia. His sons haven't successfully bred yet so Kuia's offspring is important because it will hopefully introduce more Fiordlands genes on the Stewart Island birds.
 
I tracked down the Kakapo website and I adopted a little guy named Bluster-Murphy. He was attacked by another Kakapo when he was a baby and the Murphy part of his name comes from the doctor who saved him. I don't know yet if they'll be able to send the plushie and stuff to America or not-- I increased the requested by 50%, but I also told them it was okay not to send it if it's not feasible for them.
 
Good on you.

I almost adopted Buster-Murphy but I ended up going with Ralph because of the Douglas Adams connection.
 
This is a very good thing you are doing. Even without AGW, life forms on islands are always in harms way. We see that with recent tsunami. But it is more than that.

Take a look at the Hawaiian Islands. Notice that they get smaller due to erosion as they move farther from the hotspot. This is the fate of all smaller islands. Who knows what was lost as they became nothing more than seamounts.

On the mainland--they have more of a chance.
 
It looks like the baby boom has come a little early.

Four eggs have now hatched - the latest two are Kuia's second egg (with its important Fiordlands genes) and Hine Kuimai's egg.

All up 30 fertile eggs have been discovered and possibly more to be found. This season might exceed the bumper year of 2009 which saw the arrival of 33 chicks.
 
^^ That's good news.

And I just heard from Karen at the Department of Conservation. They'll be able to send my stuff.
 
Bluster_zpsrfgnpnhx.jpg

Bluster-Murphy is here. :mallory:
 
It is amazing. 43 females have mated. There are 106 eggs, in 43 nests across 3 islands, and it look like about 50% of those might be fertile.

Only three hatchlings so far.
 
Sadly it looks like two males have died, probably due to fighting during the mating season - first it was Smoko and now 7 year old Tiaho has been found dead.
 
Poor things. :( That means they're just about breaking even with the hatchlings. I hope more of those eggs hatch soon.
 
awesome! I recall how in the early 70s the news that some kakapos had been found caused quite an uproar among biologists as until then they had been feared extinct. In the early 90s there were still less than 50. In 2002 and 2009 there appears to have been a sort of baby-boom. If we asssume a 7 year generation span, that would mean this year might be another increase in their numbers =)
 
Good news. I hope they keep hatching (and surviving). We could get up to around 50.
 
Sounds like it has both the Vitamin D and calcium that they need. Time to start beefing up the rimu crop. :bolian:
 
Update - 25 chicks so far. However one of Kuia's chicks died. Because she choose a very bad site for her nest her first church of eggs were removed from her but she has a new nest and three eggs. Let's hope her important Fiordland genes will be in more chicks by the end of this breed season.
 
Nice. That's about a 20% increase in the total population. I hope the rest will be okay.
 
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