Source: Department of Conservation
Date: 05 March 2025
The taonga were released on the predator-free island in Fiordland’s Tamatea/Dusky Sound on Friday, after two days in acclimatisation aviaries on the island.
The manu were bred and raised at The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust and Orana Wildlife Park in Christchurch before being flown to Invercargill, where they were met by representatives from Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka on behalf of Kaitiaki Rōpū Ki Murihiku.
Joshua Kingipotiki and Alex Taurima from Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka accompanied the manu on their helicopter journey to the island, welcoming them with karakia and waiata.
“Being part of this release was a big learning experience and rather humbling, as it was the first time that I have been in the presence of kākāriki karaka,” Joshua Kingipotiki says.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kākāriki Karaka Species Representative Yvette Couch-Lewis says it is exciting to have mana whenua representatives from Ōraka-Aparima leading the tikanga and kawa of welcoming the kākāriki karaka onto the motu, with assistance from a kaitiaki ranger.
“Ngāi Tahu is definitely on a journey with this manu,” Yvette Couch-Lewis says.
“Kākāriki karaka are our smallest parrots, but they have a great deal of mana and are proof that the best things can come in small packages.”
“For me it is a very emotional process seeing these manu, which have been born and raised in captivity, being released into the wild. There is a sense of amnesia associated with engaging with this manu because we haven’t had the opportunity in generations to observe them in their natural environment.
“Translocations such as this are important because they build the population up so that one day we can engage with kakariki karaka again.”
DOC Kākāriki Karaka Operations Manager Wayne Beggs says setting up a secure new wild site is a huge step forward for the recovery of the species.
“Kākāriki karaka are extremely vulnerable to introduced predators, so finding safe places for them to live and breed in the wild is vitally important for the species’ survival.
“The predator-free beech and rimu forest on Pukenui/Anchor Island should be a great site for kākāriki karaka to flourish.”
Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust (ICWT) CEO Rob Kinney says the last six months of intensive husbandry by staff at ICWT is a testament to their dedication and expertise in caring for this critically endangered bird species.
“We are proud of our partnership with DOC and our involvement in this important conservation project.”
The vision of the recently released kākāriki karaka recovery strategy, Te Ara Mōrehu, is that kākāriki karaka will be thriving independently in the wild, with ten self-sustaining populations in the Ngāi Tahu takiwā in the next 20 years.
The recovery programme thanks tourism operator RealNZ and specialist insole company Formthotics for their significant donations which made the translocation and follow-up monitoring possible.
“RealNZ’s purpose is to help the world fall in love with conservation, and one of our flagship events aligned to this purpose is our annual Conservation Ball, aligning with the Department of Conservation to identify key projects that would benefit from our support,” says RealNZ CEO Dave Beeche.
“It’s incredible to see the funds raised from the 2023 Conservation Ball in action, assisting with the translocation of these critically endangered manu to Pukenui Anchor Island.”
Wayne says a lot of planning, effort, and cost goes into a translocation like this, and its success relies on a range of people and groups working together.
“We plan to do more translocations in the future. The NZ Nature Fund is raising money for this work and the public can contribute through their website.”
The kākāriki karaka recovery programme is supported by The Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust, Orana Wildlife Park, Canterbury University, Mainpower, and the NZ Nature Fund.
Related links
Background information
Kaitiaki Rōpū Ki Murihiku represent the four southern Ngāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnanga: Te Rūnanga o Hokonui, Ōraka-Aparima Rūnaka, Waihōpai Rūnaka, and Te Rūnaka o Awarua.
With about 450 left in the wild, kākāriki karaka are the rarest mainland forest bird in Aotearoa. The population naturally fluctuates based on environmental conditions.
They were once plentiful across the country but proved an easy meal for introduced predators and were affected by habitat loss, which saw their numbers dwindle.
Because they nest and roost in holes in trees, kākāriki karaka are extremely vulnerable to rats, stoats and cats.
The species was twice declared extinct in the past (in 1919 and 1965) before being rediscovered in the late 1980s.
Anchor Island/Pukenui is already home to a range of threatened bird species including kākāpō.
Contact
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Email: media@doc.govt.nz