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Here we gather to learn of the near loss and recovery of creatures that have been driven to the brink of extinction only to be saved from that end by the same entity that caused their decline. 
The Kakapo (S. habroptilus), is a unique parrot native to New Zealand. The Kakapo is the only flightless and nocturnal parrot known to exist, in addition it is also the largest parrot in the world weighing up to three and a half kilograms. At one time the Kakapo numbered in the hundreds of thousands and ranged across all of New Zealand and had no natural predators except for a now extinct giant eagle. This was all before the arrival of man, since the first arrival of the Polynesian people that came and burned and cleared the forest and whom brought with them as stowaways the Polynesian rat. The greatest decline of the Kakapo however came with the settlement of the European colonists who brought ferrets, cats, dogs, more rats and did more clear cutting of the land and forests for farming. From the lack of natural predators in its past the Kakapo didn’t know how to evade the new predators and died in the thousands. During the settling of New Zealand the Kakapo was always used as a staple food and even fed to dogs for food. When the first specimens reached England it created a scientific frenzy and the collection of dead birds was increased since the bird was so unique among parrots and lacked much of a keel bone which made free flight impossible. Even the deer that the Europeans brought caused problems for the Kakapo in that they competed for food and ate the best vegetation quickly and since the Kakapo is completely herbivorous many chicks and adults starve from lack of food. By the 1930’s the Kakapo was extinct on the North Island of New Zealand. (Merton, 1999)From conservation and live studying much has been learned about the Kakapo including the fact that it is the only parrot in the world to have a lek mating system in which the females breed then go off on their own to raise the chicks with no help from the males. Also the sex ratio of the Kakapo is currently about two males for every female which may be due to the fact that males are larger and thus as chicks out-compete the smaller female siblings for the food and attention of the mother. In addition through captive breeding and hatching scientists have found that the Kakapo egg takes about thirty days to incubate and hatch. (Trewick, 1997) Conservation of the Kakapo came in 1974 when two males were rediscovered and moved to Maud Island off the coast of New Zealand. Until 1977 only a few other males were found in other regions, then on Steward Island over 200 more were found including females. Around 1980 the first nest since the turn of the century was found on Stewart Island where scientists were able to observe the nesting and raising habits of the Kakapo. By 1981 the Steward Island population was down to about 61 birds so it was decided to divide them up and send them to six different islands off the coast of New Zealand where rats and other predators weren’t present. These islands included Little Barrier Island, Maud Island, Codfish Island, Pearl Island, Inner Chetwode Island, and Anchorage Island. In 1987 the last booming calls of the Kakapo were heard on mainland New Zealand, it was now extinct in it’s natural habitat. By 1989 a Kakapo recovery plan was developed and implemented to increase Kakapo numbers including a supplemental feeding system to give the birds a more complete diet since they only breed and produce offspring when food is abundant. With the supplemental feed the Little Barrier Island population started breeding and laying again. Around 1992 some of the hatchlings were transferred and raised in Aukland Zoo which became the first Kakapo to be raised in captivity. Finally in 1993 the supplemental feeding program was extended to Codfish, Little Barrier and Maud Islands. Currently the Codfish Island birds have been moved to Pearl Island while an extensive rat poisoning program is being undergone back on Codfish Island. As for births, there were three Kakapo born already for the 1999 breeding season and the population is up to about 60 birds with only one adult death in the past 5 years. And of the whole population there are about 20 females, 13 of which are known to be fertile. Scientists have been experimenting with cutting back on supplemental feeding is some areas to encourage the Kakapo to find new food sources. (Merton, 1999) The recovery of this once believed to be extinct animal is coming along well, but as always the road to true recovery is always long and full of problems. Only time will tell if this beautiful bird can return from the brink of extinction to again flourish on its native soil. 
The Black Robin (Petroica traversi) native to the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. From the introduction of predators and habitat destruction the black robin had been isolated to Little Mengere Island since around 1880. By 1970 the population was known to have dropped to seven individuals at which time they were transferred to Mengere Island where the population had reached it's lowest point of five Black Robins left in the world. The black robin is actually a flycatcher instead of a thrush as the name might imply. (Line, 1997) It grows to about fifteen centimeters long and weighs 23.4 grams. The life span is known to reach around eleven years or so. The birds are generally monogamous with the female usually laying about 2-3 eggs. The threat to the robin came from habitat destruction from introduced sheep as well as humans. Also introduced cats, rats, and possums did their part to kill off adult and chick alike. In 1980 when the population was down to its five birds with only one breeding pair the New Zealand Wildlife Service took charge. Through egg manipulation, foster parenting by other birds the population has increased and by around 1988 had reached about 150-200 birds or more, the greatest recovery of any bird species to date. (World Conservation Center, 1998) 
The Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga Jefferyi), the national bird of the Philippines is another critically endangered bird that has been driven to near extinction in the past decades. Around the 1980's the population of the Philippine eagle dropped from around 500 birds to about 63 eagles today. The dramatic drop in numbers has been due mostly to habitat loss from rainforest destruction through lumbering and slash and burn farming due the the rising human population. Of the 63 birds that are known to only live on Luzon and Mindinao, two of the over 7,000 Philipine Islands, 18 of them have been taken into captivity due to injury or illegal captivity by natives. These captive eagles are used to learn more about their lifestyle, feeding habits and breeding. (McMahon, 1994.) The Philippine eagle grows to be about 91 cm tall with a wingspan of close to two meters making it one of the largest eagles alive. These eagles usually feed on monkeys, but may also eat lemurs, snakes, and other birds. The life expectancy of the eagle can be between sixty to eighty years of age. The adult breeding season ranges from September to May however the pair only lay one egg and that chick stays with the parents for two years before heading out on it's own. The eagles prefer to nest in the tops of trees and ferns on steep mountain slopes and cliffs. (Gonzalas,Rees, 1988) The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) has been the striving force in trying to restore the eagle to it's natural habitat. By working with the Peregrine Fund, an international organization that has been instrumental in the protection and restoration of many bird species including the Chatham Island's Black Robin. the PEF has been trying to breed the eagles in captivity as well as a policy of occasionally removing an egg or eaglet from a nest in danger to add to the gene pool of the captive eagles. The PEF had obtained a permit for removing four eaglets from their nest, however a chick had died in transit due to it's weak condition prior to capture, but to be on the same side the permit was suspended until more could be learned and done to aid in chick survival rates. (The Peregrine Fund, 1999) The government of the Philippines tries to maintain habitat for the eagle but with over-population problems such as lack of food and money the people still resort to their foresting jobs in order to make a living so the PEF and the Philippine government are up against a wall with no apparent way out. Everything that can be done is being attempted but all things take time, and it is only time that will tell if the eagles strive for life will prevail. (McMahon, 1994.) Ardern, S.L. 1997. Is the black robin in genetic peril? Molecular Ecology 6:21-28. Gonzales, P.C. and Rees, C.P. 1988. Birds of the Philippines. Haribon Foundation http://www.aenet.org/birds/phileagl.htm Line, Les. 1998. Is this the world's rarest bird? National Wildlife Federation http://www.nwf.org/nwf/natlwild/1998/rarebird.html McMahon, J. 1994. Resolving the Conflict Between Man and the Environment: A Model in the Philippines. Independance Institute. http://i2i.org/SuptDocs/IssuPprs/iseagle.htm Merton, Don. 1999 The Fabulous Kakapo. http://www.kakapo.net/en/kakapo.html The Peregrine Fund, 1999. Philippine Eagle Conservation. http://www.peregrinefund.org/philipp.html Trewick, S.A. 1997. On the skewed sex ratio of the kakapo strigops habroptilus: sexual and natural selection in opposion? Ibis 139:652-663. World Conservation Monitoring Center- WCME/WWF. 1998. Species Under Threat Chatham Robin- Petroica traversi. http://www.wcmc.org.uk/species/data/species_sheets/chatham.htm World Conservation Monitoring Center- WCME/WWF. 1998. Species Under Threat Philippine Eagle - Pithecophaga jefferyi. http://www.wcmc.org.uk/species/data/species_sheets/gtphilea.htm |
