Nov. 21 – Te Puia, part 2
The kiwi bird has been hunted to almost extinction by animals imported by Europeans. Dogs, cats, stoats and the brush-tailed possum (the latter exported to NZ in the 1800's to begins a fur trade) have hunted this flightless bird and raided the nests for eggs. Now the country has set aside large areas of land that have been fenced in and cleared of all feral animals. Te Puia is part of a a group that is endeavoring to breed kiwi birds and release the into the wild. We were able to see the birds, but pictures of them are not allowed as it is too disturbing for them and nobody wants to disturb the breeding pair. I did, however, get a picture of a stuffed kiwi in the Cultural Center's gift shop. (And speaking of gift shops, how many more book marks can I buy? It seems like I can't resist them and must have about 8 so far.)
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