a close encounter.
We visited Zealandia for an evening encounter with the kākāpō Sirocco. Kākāpō are large, nocturnal parrots native to New Zealand and are a critically endangered species. There are currently only 125 kākāpō in the entire world, all of which live on remote, predator free islands off the coast of New Zealand.
Sirocco loves humans and generally ignores his own kind. As a chick he became ill with a respiratory illness which lead to him being hand-raised. When Department of Conservation rangers tried to release him back into the wild he kept showing up every evening at the ranger hut no matter how far away they released him.
Though adorable, this behaviour was actually quite a disappointment for the species. Kākāpō need as many mating males as possible so the population can continue to grow. Sirocco has no interest in mating, well... almost.
After his encounter with Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine, Sirocco went viral. In 2010 Sirocco was appointed the Official Spokesbird for Conservation by Prime Minister John Key. He has been the ambassador for his species ever since and enjoys a large fan base.
Our evening with Sirocco began with a talk and short video explaining the plight of the kākāpō and Sirocco's unique story. We then began a fairy lit walk through the sanctuary to Sirocco enclosure. The enclosure space itself is well lit and there is ample room for everyone to see Sirocco. Tours allow for 25 minutes at Sirocco's home so there is plenty of time to see his personality.
Sirocco is the Sherlock Holmes of birds, he bores easily so if you want a real experience you have to entertain him. He loves enthusiasm and enjoys hearing his name. Photos are allowed, but as a nocturnal creature flash photography frightens him so the flash must be turned off prior to entering.
We were joined by two Zealandia volunteers who were able to answer any questions we had about kākāpō. They also had baggies of kākāpō feathers to touch and kākāpō poo to smell. Their poo smells surprisingly earthy, like the forest after rain.
Zealandia staff pointed out that our small group of approximately 20 were the only people in the entire world looking at a live kākāpō during our 25 minutes. That's a rather sobering thought.
If you would like to know more about kākāpō or if you would like to adopt a kākāpō to help the recovery visit kakaporecovery.org.nz
Sirocco loves humans and generally ignores his own kind. As a chick he became ill with a respiratory illness which lead to him being hand-raised. When Department of Conservation rangers tried to release him back into the wild he kept showing up every evening at the ranger hut no matter how far away they released him.
Though adorable, this behaviour was actually quite a disappointment for the species. Kākāpō need as many mating males as possible so the population can continue to grow. Sirocco has no interest in mating, well... almost.
After his encounter with Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine, Sirocco went viral. In 2010 Sirocco was appointed the Official Spokesbird for Conservation by Prime Minister John Key. He has been the ambassador for his species ever since and enjoys a large fan base.
Sirocco is the Sherlock Holmes of birds, he bores easily so if you want a real experience you have to entertain him. He loves enthusiasm and enjoys hearing his name. Photos are allowed, but as a nocturnal creature flash photography frightens him so the flash must be turned off prior to entering.
We were joined by two Zealandia volunteers who were able to answer any questions we had about kākāpō. They also had baggies of kākāpō feathers to touch and kākāpō poo to smell. Their poo smells surprisingly earthy, like the forest after rain.
Zealandia staff pointed out that our small group of approximately 20 were the only people in the entire world looking at a live kākāpō during our 25 minutes. That's a rather sobering thought.
If you would like to know more about kākāpō or if you would like to adopt a kākāpō to help the recovery visit kakaporecovery.org.nz
