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Bart,
one
of
our
takahe
at
the
NWC
|
Back
from
the
dead
Until
the
1940’s,
the
takahe
was
thought
to
be
extinct:
none
had
been
seen
for
50
years.
A
survey
of
the
Murchison
mountains
shortly
after
the
rediscovery
in
1948
revealed
about
two
hundred
breeding
pairs
of
birds.
By
1981
only
120
birds
remained.
The
reasons
for
the
decline
are
uncertain,
but
many
factors
have
contributed.
Deer,
which
arrived
in
the
area
during
the
1950’s
and
60’s,
eat
the
same
foods
as
takahe,
depriving
the
birds
of
essential
nutrients
required
to
successfully
raise
chicks.
Predators,
such
as
stoats
can
easily
kill
takahe
chicks.
Intensive
conservation
programmes
have
halted
the
decline
of
takahe,
but
their
survival
hangs
in
the
balance
It
was
assumed,
when
Dr.
Geoffrey
Orbell
rediscovered
the
takahe
in
Fiordland’s
Murchison
Mountains
in
1948,
that
the
bird
had
been
extinct
for
over
50
years.
Dr.
Orbell
described
the
magical
moment
this
way:
“Suddenly
I
saw
in
a
clearing
in
the
snow
grass
a
bird
with
a
bright
red
beak
and
a
blue
and
green
colouring.
I
threw
myself
flat
and
the
others
fell
like
ninepins.
The
faces
of
the
others
were
a
study.
The
snowgrass
seemed
noisy
as
I
wormed
my
way
through
it.
It
is
hard
to
crawl
in
snowgrass
dragging
50
yards
of
net.
In
sign
language
I
brought
Rex
and
Neil,
who
were
in
the
wings,
closer
until
the
circle
around
the
birds
was
complete.
A
moment
later
the
net
shook
violently
at
one
spot.
“We’ve
got
them’
I
shouted
as
I
ran
up
to
secure
the
specimens
of
the
notornis
in
each
hand.
Rather
than
disturb
the
nesting
birds,
we
released
them
as
quickly
as
possible
and
returned
home,
grateful
to
Providence
for
our
twelve
still
photos
and
three
reels
of
coloured
movie.”
It
was
estimated
that
there
could
be
about
500
birds
in
the
Murchison
Mountains.
But,
on
a
later
visit
in
1952
with
Dr.
Robert
Falla
of
the
Dominion
Museum
and
others,
the
group
were
appalled
to
find
that
numbers
had
fallen
to
about
300.
The
decrease
was
thought
to
have
been
due
to
competition
for
food
with
red
deer
also
partial
to
the
tussock
grass
favoured
by
the
takahe.
Not
long
after,
it
was
decided
to
begin
a
captive
breeding
programme.
The
plan
was
to
bring
eggs
from
the
Murchison
Mountains
to
hatch
and
then
to
raise
the
resultant
off-spring.
Accordingly,
bantams
had
to
be
trained
to
sit
on
eggs
no
matter
what
happened.
Elwyn
Welch,
a
Mount
Bruce
farmer
with
a
deep
interest
in
ornithology,
undertook
this
long-term
task.
Bantams
were
placed
in
a
special
nest
box
with
dummy
eggs
and
then
transported
about
the
farm
by
various
means.
Sometimes
it
was
on
the
back
of
a
truck,
carried
on
the
tractor
or
around
the
farm
in
a
rucksack.
Also,
as
part
of
their
training,
they
looked
after
pukeko
chicks,
the
pukeko
being
a
relative
of
the
takahe.
Three
years
later
the
bantams
were
taken
to
Fiordland.
 |
Fitting
a
takahe
with
a
transmitter
before
relaease
into
Fiordland
|
After
an
abortive
attempt
to
recover
eggs
it
was
decided
to
seek
out
chicks.
This
highly
secret
activity
was
code-named
Operation
Password.
Elwyn,
Dr.
Gordon
Williams
and
Peter
Morrison
of
the
Wildlife
Service
all
travelled
under
assumed
names.
In
short
they
captured
four
chicks,
which
the
bantams
readily
mothered.
Then
it
was
a
fast
drive
to
Lyttleton
to
catch
the
ferry
to
Wellington.
They
were
late
but,
by
special
order,
the
ferry
was
held
for
them.
Curious
passengers
and
crew
saw
a
small
battered
car
draw
up
and
scruffy
people
board
the
ship
carrying
mysterious
boxes.
The
operation
concluded
at
‘Kelvin
grove,’
Elwyn
Welch’s
farm
about
2kms
south
of
the
present
Wildlife
Centre.
The
entire
operation
was
‘top
secret’
and
the
general
public
had
no
knowledge
of
it
or
its
outcome
at
the
time.
Takahe
facts
-
Alpine
grassland
supplies
its
food
and
shelter
such
as
broad-leafed
snow
tussock,
mid-ribbed
snow
tussock
and
curled
snow
tussock.
-
After
the
snow
clears
in
October,
takahe
often
nest
under
the
shelter
of
snow
tussocks
where
each
nesting
pair
builds
up
a
raised
bowl
of
grasses.
-
One
to
three
eggs
are
laid,
usually
2.
Usually
only
one
of
these
hatches
and
survives
winter.
The
50-day
incubation
period
is
shared
by
both
parents
who
also
feed
the
chicks
for
3
months.
-
Takahe
are
much
larger
than
the
common
black
and
blue
pukeko.
-
An
adult
stands
about
60
cm
high
and
can
weigh
up
to
3
kg.
-
Takahe
have
lived
over
20
years
in
captivity
but
in
the
wild
few
birds
reach
this
age.
-
Wings
are
for
display
only
-
such
as
courtship
and
aggression.
Fight
for
survival
The
takahe
once
lived
throughout
the
North
and
South
Islands
but
by
the
time
of
Maori
settlement,
it
was
already
reduced
in
numbers
and
localised
in
distribution.
After
its
rediscovery
in
1948,
a
500
sq.
km
special
area
within
Fiordland
National
Park
was
set
aside
for
its
conservation.
By
1982,
the
population
had
dwindled
to
a
low
of
118
birds.
This
rapid
decline
occurred
during
the
1940-50s
when
deer
became
established
throughout
Fiordland.
Research
has
shown
that
deer
have
had
a
detrimental
effect
on
the
birds’
nutrition
(contributing
to
chick
loss)
and
habitat.
In
the
Murchison
Mountains,
the
main
competitor,
red
deer,
and
the
main
predator,
the
stoat,
are
being
controlled
to
improve
the
quality
of
the
mainland
habitat.
There
are
currently
approximately
140
birds
left
in
the
Murchison’s
area,
and
these
are
managed
by
the
Department
of
Conservation.
Takahe
have
also
been
established
on
four
predator
free
offshore
islands:
Maud
Island
(Marlborough
Sounds),
Mana
Island
(off
Wellington’s
west
coast),
Kapiti
Island
(north
of
Mana)
and
Tiritiri
Matangi
Island
(Hauraki
Gulf).
There
is
a
total
of
approximately
70
birds
on
these
islands.
Takahe
recovery
plan
The
Department
of
Conservation’s
takahe
recovery
plan,
supported
by
the
Flight
Centre
New
Zealand,
focuses
on
establishing
self-sustaining
populations
in
Fiordland
and
on
predator-free
islands.
Considerable
research
has
been
undertaken
on
reproductive
biology,
feeding
and
nutrition,
and
impacts
of
deer
and
predators.
The
long-term
goal
of
the
Takahe
Recovery
Plan
is
to
establish
and
maintain
two
viable
populations
of
100
pairs
each-
one
maintained
within
its
present
and
former
range
in
Fiordland
National
Park,
and
a
second
comprising
of
takahe
living
on
groups
of
islands
and
other
mainland
sites.
Pest
management
An
important
management
development
has
been
the
stringent
control
of
deer
in
the
Murchison
Mountains
and
other
takahe
areas
of
Fiordland
National
Park.
Following
the
introduction
of
deer
hunting
by
helicopter,
deer
numbers
have
decreased
dramatically
and
alpine
vegetation
is
now
recovering
from
years
of
heavy
browsing.
This
improvement
in
its
habitat
has
helped
to
increase
takahe
breeding
success
and
survival.
Stoat
control
is
undertaken
immediately
prior
to
and
during
the
takahe
nesting
period
and
while
chicks
are
still
vulnerable.
Breeding
programme
 |
Takahe
habitat
in
Fiordland
|
Since
1985,
the
Department
has
been
involved
in
managing
takahe
nests
to
boost
the
birds’
recovery.
Artificial
incubation
of
eggs
and
rearing
of
chicks
is
carried
out
at
the
Burwood
Bush
rearing
unit,
Te
Anau,
where
four
pairs
are
held
to
form
the
nucleus
of
a
small
breeding
group.
Chicks
are
reared
with
minimal
human
contact,
being
fed
and
brooded
through
the
use
of
puppets
and
models.
Excess
eggs
from
wild
nests
are
also
managed
at
the
unit
to
produce
birds
suitable
for
releasing
back
into
the
wild
population
in
the
Murchison
Mountains.
Seventy
birds
are
now
established
on
four
islands
(Kapiti,
Mana,
Maud
and
Tiritiri
Matangi),
showing
the
ability
of
takahe
to
survive
in
a
variety
of
habitats.
Read
about
the
Elwyn
Welch
story
here...
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