New Zealand’s chubby parrots are back on the mainland EU and Mercosur wants to move forward: this affects Switzerland

Kakapos are chubby and cannot fly. In their native New Zealand, the flower-scented parrots are critically endangered. Her return to the mainland is considered a milestone.

One of New Zealand’s most unusual birds has returned to the mainland for the first time in 40 years: Four male kakapos were taken from Codfish Island off the South Island to the North Island’s Waikato region on Wednesday, the Department of Conservation (DOC) reports. ) said.

The chubby and the world’s only flightless and night parrots are “one of the most iconic and rarest species” in the country, the conservation authority wrote. Rats, martens, cats and other animals brought in by settlers had pushed them to the brink of extinction.

In 1995, only 51 kakapos (scientifically: Strigops habroptila) were counted, said DOC expert Deidre Vercoe. But decades of efforts by the authority in partnership with the Maori have paid off: the population has doubled since 2016 and will grow to 252 by 2022. “Until now, kakapos have only been able to survive on a few predator-free islands off the coast, so it’s a huge achievement for everyone involved that they are now returning to the mainland,” Vercoe said.

British zoologist Mark Carwardine once wrote that the kakapo is the “largest, fattest and most flightless parrot in the world”, adding: “It is as affectionate as a dog and as playful as a kitten, and it can puff itself up with air to … … taking on the size and shape of a soccer ball.”

Because there used to be no mammals in New Zealand, the birds didn’t have to adapt to these enemies: they live on the forest floor, lay their eggs there, can’t fly – and haven’t developed any defense strategies. The name is composed of the Maori words “kaka” (parrot) and “po” (night).

Now the animal rights activists must find out whether the parrots can also thrive in a fenced reserve after their move. (saw/sda/dpa)