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Isn't
it
cruel
keeping
birds
in
cages?
Some
of the birds we work with are on the brink of extinction.
The aviaries provide dependable shelter and safety, food
and the opportunity to produce young. They are also designed
to provide a habitat as close to the birds’ natural
environment as possible. These offspring can then be released
into the wild to re-establish self sustaining breeding
populations. Pukaha Mount Bruce is also an insurance policy
in case the small populations in the wild are wiped out.
Why
aren't
all
the
birds
you
talk
about
on
display?
Some
birds
are
easily
disturbed.
For
example
the
Campbell
Island
teal,
the
world's
rarest
duck,
is
nocturnal
so
it
is
essential
it
remain
undisturbed
during
the
day
so
it
can
sleep.
Why
should
we
conserve
these
bird
populations?
These
birds
are
unique
to
New
Zealand.
Many
species
date
from
the
time
New
Zealand
was
joined
to
Gondwanaland
and
have
been
preserved
by
geographical
isolation.
Birds
also
contribute
to
the
balance
of
our
ecosystem.
Without
birds
like
the
kereru,
seeds
would
not
be
dispersed
throughout
the
forest.
All
the
effects
of
biodiversity
and
the
ecosystem
are
not
known
so
plants
and
birds
we
think
are
unimportant
today
could
be
extremely
important
in
the
future.
Why
hasn’t
a
fence
been
built
to
protect
the
forest
rather
than
undertake
pest
control
forever?
Restoring
our
threatened
wildlife
to
the
mainland
of
New
Zealand
cannot
be
done
on
a
large
scale
by
protecting
them
behind
predator
proof
fences.
This
project
demonstrates
that
it
is
possible
to
successfully
reintroduce
species
that
were
once
locally
extinct.
This
is
an
important
conservation
education
message
that
can
be
experienced
at
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce.
Why
does
the
restoration
project
need
public
sponsorship,
why
doesn’t
the
government
fund
the
work?
Aim
of
project
–
community
driven,
to
demonstrate
that
everyone
can
make
a
difference.
DOC
and
regional
councils
contribute
at
least
$133,000
annually
to
the
pest
control
and
species
reintroductions.
DOC
also
provides
the
project
with
technical
and
scientific
support,
administrative
and
Human
resources
support,
planning,
publicity
and
fund
raising.
Why
has
the
name
Pukaha
Mount
Bruce
been
used,
rather
than
the
original
Mt
Bruce
National
Wildlife
Centre?
Pukaha
is
the
original
name
for
the
area,
and
using
it
conveys
the
wider
scope
of
what
we
do
here
now.
It
also
recognizes
the
strong
iwi
connection
with
Pukaha
and
the
work
undertaken
here.
The
National
Wildlife
Centre
still
exsits
and
is
the
area
where
the
captive
breeding
and
visitor
facilities
are
provided
next
to
State
Highway
2.
Are
poisons
used
to
control
the
pests
and
are
the
native
wildlife
at
risk?
1080
has
been
used
in
bait
stations,
currently
we
are
using
Brodifacoum
placed
in
bait
stations.
These
are
the
only
poisons
that
are
successful
in
large
scale
rat
and
possum
control.
Trapping
of
rats
and
possums
is
also
undertaken,
although
using
poisons
is
the
only
successful
means
of
reducing
rat
populations
low
enough
for
our
threatened
species
to
survive.
Read
a
glossary
of
terms
used
here...
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