Kaitiaki for Kākāpō - Part 1

Known as a bit of an enigma, the critically endangered kākāpō continues to captivate the attention of kiwi’s everywhere, including the fight to bring them back from the brink of extinction. There has never been a breeding season quite like 2019’s. Predictions were high, the rimu mast was the biggest it had been in nearly 40 years, and as a species who only breed during a mast, all expectations were blown out of the water. Auckland Zoo has had a long relationship with the Department of Conservation's Kākāpō Recovery team in providing the veterinary care for the programme and this breeding season we lent our support with bird keepers and our vet staff heading out to the kākāpō’s sanctuary islands. Watch part one of our Kaitiaki for Kākāpō mini-series, and see the amazing team effort to help this amazing bird to thrive, and stay tuned for part two of the story next Friday!