The thought of the extinct Takahe was released into the wild in New Zealand

In August 2023, eighteen Takahe birds were released in the Wakatipu Waimori Valley in New Zealand’s South Island. This is a promising new chapter in the success story of this special bird.

Takahe has lived in Aotearoa, as New Zealand is called in Maori, since prehistoric times. In the beginning, the bird was alone: ​​there were no other native land mammals. Therefore, the Takahes did not need to fly, so they happily jumped on the mountains.

Takahe is almost extinct, but how?

So far so good, until European settlers arrived in New Zealand and threatened the habitat of the native birds. Europeans brought stoats, cats, ferrets and rats to Aotearoa. The walking bird, which looks like a cross between a peacock and a todo, is no match for these predators. By the end of the nineteenth century, Takahe seemed to have died out completely.

Turns out that wasn’t true. In 1948, a small group of Takahe birds was found in the South Island. To prevent the birds from becoming truly extinct, they were raised in nature reserves in the following years, far from predators that could eat their eggs. When the chicks hatch, the young birds are greeted by conservationists wearing pop socks with red beaks in hopes of peace.

The ‘extinct’ bird is roaming the wild again

The efforts paid off, as the population has now grown to five hundred birds. Most of them are protected in nature reserves, but vulnerable species are released back into the wild. As in Lake Wakatipu recently.

Biggest challenge in protecting Takahe? Prevents birds from falling prey to mice and other predators. New Zealand aims to eradicate all rats, possums and stoats by 2050 so Takahe can once again run free.

Willek van Doorn studied journalism and traveled the world for a while, eventually ending up in the editorial offices of Quest, National Geographic, and Runner’s World through the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. She is curious about the world, likes to travel every month and always carries her running shoes with her.