 Captive
breeding is one conservation method we can use to help
species. However, it is a method that can only be used
on some of our threatened wildlife. Many species cannot
adjust their behavior to breed in captivity. For others
we are able to secure the survival of the species by creating
a second population – out of the wild – in
a secure predator free habitat.
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
has
played
an
important
part
in
New
Zealand’s
recovery
of
threatened
species.
The
National
Wildlife
Centre
at
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
has
been
breeding
and
rearing
birds
in
captivity
since
Elwyn
Welch
brought
takahe
to
Pukaha Mount Bruce
in
the
1950s.
Today
the
centre
is
run
by
the
Department
of
Conservation.
New
Zealand
has
some
of
the
most
ancient
and
fascinating
species
in
the
world.
Most
of
our
plants
and
animals
are
found
nowhere
else.
But
we
are
also
world
leaders
in
our
rates
of
extinctions
and
in
our
levels
of
threatened
species
-
a
legacy
of
a
history
of
unsustainable
harvest,
habitat
destruction
and
alien
species
introduction.
Preventing
the
extinction
of
New
Zealand’s
unique
plant
and
animal
species
is
a
critical
element
in
the
Government’s
New
Zealand
Biodiversity
Strategy:
a
responsibility
we
owe
to
the
rest
of
the
world.
But
this
is
not
a
small
task.
A
vital
step
in
doing
this
is
to
identify
those
species
that
are
at
risk
of
extinction,
and
to
measure
the
level
and
nature
of
that
risk.
This
information
will
allow
us
to
focus
our
resources
on
the
highest
priority
actions
necessary
to
prevent
extinction.
The
captive
breeding
programmes
undertaken
at
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
are
specified
as
management
tools
in
the
recovery
plan
for
each
species.
Threats
to
a
species
can
be
managed
and
the
timeframe
this
will
happen.
There
are
2
kinds
of
captive
breeding
programmes
run
at
the
wildlife
centre
these
days.
One
is
the
national
programmes
for
the
breeding
and
release
of
species
to
areas
within
New
Zealand
and
the
second
is
the
local
breeding
programme
in
which
species
are
bred
for
release
to
the
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
forest.
Currently,
we
hold
kaka,
kokako,
hihi
(stitchbird),
New
Zealand
Shoreplover,
Campbell
Island
teal,
tuatara,
tahahe,
kakariki
and
kiwi
in
captivity.
Captive
breeding
programmes
are
used
to:
- Study
ways
of
holding
and
breeding
threatened
species
in
captivity,
eg
stitchbird.
-
Breed
animals
for
release
into
the
wild,
eg
kokako
and
kaka.
-
Provide
a
safe
haven
as
insurance
against
possible
extinction,
eg
Campbell
Island
teal.
-
Find
a
suitable
incubating
and
rearing
programme
for
an
endangered
species
using
a
more
common
species
(analogue
research)
eg
grey-faced
petrel
for
Chatham
Island
taiko.
Each
captive
breeding
programme
is
controlled
by
a
Captive
Management
Plan.
Staff
at
the
centre
are
continually
developing
their
expertise
to
help
our
wildlife
survive
in
the
wild.
They
have
considerable
knowledge
and
experience
of
the
diet
and
health
requirements
of
different
species,
in
techniques
of
sexing
and
pairing
birds,
artificial
incubation
and
hand-rearing.
| |
These
programmes
have
seen
the
successful
breeding
of
:
|
|
Blue
duck
-
1964
Takahe-
1970
Little
spotted
kiwi
-
1972
Saddleback
–
1972
Antipodes
Island
parakeet
–
1973
Black
stilt
–
1983
Hihi
-stitchbird
–
1985
Kereru
–
NZ
pigeon
–
1985
Grand
skink
–
1986
Great
spotted
kiwi
–
1986
Kokako
–
1986
Auckland
Island
teal
–
1987
Kaka
–
1990
North
island
robin
–
1990
Shore
plover
–
1992
Campbell
Island
teal
–
1994
Grey
faced
petrel
-
1995 |
Most
of
these
species
are
held
for
the
purposes
of
breeding.
The
kakariki,
takahe,
kiwi
and
tuatara
are
held
for
advocacy
and
education
purposes.
For
each
of
the
other
species
there’s
a
Recovery
Plan
which
sets
out
details
on
how
the
species
will
be
recovered
-
increased
in
numbers
and
distribution
-
and
this
includes
captive
breeding.
To
manage
the
captive
breeding
programmes
we
have
a
team
of
3
birdstaff
rangers
and
1
manager.
Each
ranger
looks
after
3
species
each
and
is
responsible
for
the
husbandry,
captive
management,
health
management
and
aviary
maintenance
for
each
species.
We
have
a
large
team
of
volunteers
who
help
us
to
do
our
job
and
we
also
get
assistance
from
a
large
number
of
university
students
who
come
to
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
for
work
experience.
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