Stuff.co.nz has an interesting article (and video) about 2011 kakapo chick "Solstice One" who has been suffering with poor health.

the chick might be suffering from "fatty liver", which can happen when rangers supplement the adult kakapo population's food sources. "It can be deadly – there was a chick a few years ago that died from it."

Kakapo have a 100 per cent herbivorous diet and rely on rimu fruit for much of their nutrition. In years when rimu trees fail to bear enough fruit, rangers give the birds pellets, but these can be too rich in protein and energy for the baby birds to tolerate.

It is with great sadness that I have to report the passing of Don Merton this weekend. Don saved the Chatham Island Robin from extinction, and was instrumental in getting the current kakapo recovery going. He was clearly quite a character and his appearance in the TV series of Last Chance To See was very inspiring. Here is the DOC media release. He will be greatly missed.

Don Merton revolutionised methods which brought the black robin back from a single female on a remote island in the Chathams to a flourishing population of more than 200 today.

He also led the team responsible for discovering the last kakapo in Fiordland and managing their recovery through an innovative breeding programme on protected islands. He worked to save South Island saddlebacks from extinction, and used his knowledge to help other species both in New Zealand and across the world.

Here's some wonderful news from Codfish Island. Eleven fluffy Kakapo chicks have made their entrance in recent weeks, and we now have 131 Kakapos in the world. 3news.co.nz has the full story.

The arrival of 11 new kakapo chicks this breeding season has been welcomed by Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson.

The new arrivals will boost the world population of the rare native parrot to 131 birds.
[...]
The chicks - including potentially two conceived through ground-breaking artificial insemination techniques - have all hatched in the past few weeks.

I was very sad to learn this week that acclaimed conservationist Don Merton is very ill with pancreatic cancer and is being cared for at his home by wife Margaret. The Dominion Post has the story. My prayers are with him and his family at this difficult time.

Friends and conservationists have been paying tribute to 72-year-old Dr Merton, describing his achievements as extraordinary, world-leading and inspirational.

He has previously credited a childhood fascination with his grandmother's canary as the spur behind a career in saving some of the country's most endangered birds.

His idea to move eggs from the nests of Chatham Island black robins to tomtit nests saw the species recover from a point at which there was only one breeding pair left in the 1980s. Later, his determination to save the kakapo meant the last remaining birds from Fiordland were moved to a predator-free island.

Great news from TVNZ...

The first kakapo chicks of the season have hatched with three new arrivals bringing the total population of the critically endangered parrot to 123.
[...]
It is hoped 11 eggs will hatch this season, this is lower than past seasons because of the low number of rimu fruit available for the birds to eat.

I was very saddened to learn of the passing of legendary Kakapo "Richard Henry". TreeHugger has this report.

Richard Henry may sound like an oddly dignified name for a bird -- but its bearer deserves nothing less. Richard was a highly-endangered Kakapo, a flightless parrot from New Zealand, who is credited by many with single-wingedly saving his species. In the 1970s, researchers believed that the Kakapo had been nearly wiped out and that extinction was inevitable -- that is, until they ran across Richard. With his genetic material, conservationists were able to slowly recover the species. But today, after decades of service, Richard Henry has passed away at the ripe old age of 80 -- leaving behind a legacy that, with any luck, will be everlasting.

Scott Mouat's terrific documentary The Unnatural History of the Kakapo is now available to buy in NTSC format DVD at The World Parrot Trust eStore.

As previously reported, the Region 0 PAL versions are available online at ELWIN Productions DVD store.

The production's website has photos and information on the slew of awards that the film has either won or been nominated for.

Here is the trailer for the film, followed by another re-post of my short review. I was fortunate enough to see an advance copy back in January, and it truly is a splendid piece of work, and thoroughly deserving of all the plaudits it has received.

Four years in the making, the film covers the history of the Kakapo from before humans arrived in New Zealand through to the present day. It then details the conservation efforts that have brought the bird back from near extinction to the 122 birds we have today.

The conservation story begins with Richard Treacy Henry's ultimately doomed attempt to transplant Kakapo to Resolution Island in the late 1800's to keep them safe from stoats and weasels. The story then continues with Don Merton's rescue program of the early 1970's which led to the Kakapo being installed on Codfish Island. Don features in the film as he and a small team return to Fiordland to see if there is any chance any lone Kakapos are still out there.

Finally, the story moves to the present day, with Dr. Ron Moorhouse and the rest of the Kakapo Recovery Programme team, learning how to gently extract sperm from males and artificially inseminate the females in order to coax the genetic diversity of the population in the right direction - a project we now know to have been a success - see Kakapo Artificial Insemination a 2009 Success .

Sometimes heartwarming, sometimes deeply tragic, Scott's film is a wonderful record of the dedication shown by a team of passionate conservationists, who are all doing their bit to save the world's favourite fat, green, flightless parrot.

You can learn more at the production's website, and become a fan of the project at their Facebook Page : The Unnatural History of the Kakapo.

TV.nz reports that seven male kakapo are to be moved to a new predator free island.

With the population soaring, seven male New Zealand kakapo are being shifted from their present home to give the females some breathing space on Codfish Island.

The males will live together on another remote predator-free island, and it is believed that removing the excess males from Codfish Island will benefit the breeding birds there.

The first adult female death of a Kakapo occurred a few weeks ago when Sarah was found dead on Codfish Island. The Kakapo Recovery Programme website has the details, with the story spotted by Twitterer @bekibutton.

We are unsure of the cause of death; autopsy revealed that she was in good condition and that her death had been sudden.

The bacteria Clostridia perfringens was cultured from samples collected at autopsy, but it is not known whether this bacteria was related to her cause of death, or simply a post death overgrowth (she had been dead for one or two days before discovery).
[...]
Sarah’s passing reminds us of how rare and precious the kakapo are; taking the world kakapo population to 122. Rest in peace Sarah, we will miss you.

A potential disaster for the Kakapo is being dealt with swiftly to minimize any impact. Stuff.co.nz is reporting that 700 kilograms of bait laced with rat poison fell into a lake on remote Anchor Island in Fiordland.

An emergency cleanup operation is under way to protect the native parrots
[...]
Conservation Department Te Anau area manager Reg Kemper said the pellets could be fatal for kakapo if they ate about 20 of them, but he said it was unlikely the birds would do that. "It's designed so the rats take a pellet, then come back. It's not like cyanide."

Ever faithful reader David Haddock went to a recent talk by Mark Carwardine.

They hope to make "a few one hour Last Chance To See specials each year", and are off to Kenya soon to see how the Prague rhinos are getting on.

He also said that there are only 123 Kakapo as one was put down recently.

The Kakapo Recovery Programme website has more information on this sad news....
Old boy Sass farewelled

Sadly we euthanised one of our Stewart Island founder kakapo, Sass, yesterday. Sass had been of relatively poor condition for the last few years and has gone down hill steadily over the last 3 months.

He was extremely light weight, had developed cataracts in both eyes recently, and in the last few days appeared to have been suffering from kidney failure.
[...]
Sass's passing takes the world kakapo population to 123. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy lives on.

I just received word from film maker Scott Mouat that the DVD of The Unnatural History of the Kakapo is now available to buy online at ELWIN Productions DVD store. Right now, they are available as Region 0 PAL disks, priced NZ$26.50 +GST (if applicable) + Shipping and handling. NTSC versions for distribution within North America will be available from August. 25% of all profits from the DVD are going to the Kakapo Recovery Programme.

The production's website has been freshened up with new photos and information on the slew of awards that the film has either won or been nominated for.

Here is the trailer for the film, followed by a re-post of my short review. I was fortunate enough to see an advance copy back in January, and it truly is a splendid piece of work, and thoroughly deserving of all the plaudits it has received.

Four years in the making, the film covers the history of the Kakapo from before humans arrived in New Zealand through to the present day. It then details the conservation efforts that have brought the bird back from near extinction to the 124 birds we have today.

The conservation story begins with Richard Treacy Henry's ultimately doomed attempt to transplant Kakapo to Resolution Island in the late 1800's to keep them safe from stoats and weasels. The story then continues with Don Merton's rescue program of the early 1970's which led to the Kakapo being installed on Codfish Island. Don features in the film as he and a small team return to Fiordland to see if there is any chance any lone Kakapos are still out there.

Finally, the story moves to the present day, with Dr. Ron Moorhouse and the rest of the Kakapo Recovery Programme team, learning how to gently extract sperm from males and artificially inseminate the females in order to coax the genetic diversity of the population in the right direction - a project we now know to have been a success - see Kakapo Artificial Insemination a 2009 Success .

Sometimes heartwarming, sometimes deeply tragic, Scott's film is a wonderful record of the dedication shown by a team of passionate conservationists, who are all doing their bit to save the world's favourite fat, green, flightless parrot.

You can learn more at the production's website, and become a fan of the project at their Facebook Page : The Unnatural History of the Kakapo.

With the discovery of a new strain of beak and feather virus, Sirocco and the rest of the 123 Kakapo Parrots could find themselves in danger. Stuff.co.nz reports that Sirocco could end up being banished from the kakapo sanctuary as an attempt to mitigate infection.

Conservation Department kakapo programme scientist Ron Moorhouse said big decisions now needed to be made about Sirocco's future, not only to protect him from the disease, but also to protect the critically endangered kakapo population.

In January, Prime Minister John Key gave Sirocco the title of official "spokesbird" of conservation as part of New Zealand's role in the International Year of Biodiversity.

Many congratulations to Scott Mouat for winning numerous awards at the Documentary Edge Festival 2010. Scott's film "The Unnatural History of the Kakapo", will be available for purchase on DVD later this year. Scott kindly sent me an advance copy earlier in the year, and I can promise you it will be worth the wait.

Scoop reports that the film won four awards: "Best NZ Feature Documentary", "Best NZ Sound", "Best NZ Cinematography" and "Best NZ Director".

Here is the trailer for the film, and my review can be found here.

Keep up with developments at the film's Facebook group.

I have just spent a very enjoyable afternoon engrossed in Scott Mouat's new documentary film "The Unnatural History of the Kakapo", which will be available for purchase through the Elwin Productions website in February 2010. Thanks again to Scott for sending me an advance copy. I really appreciate it, and it was a real privilege for me to see the film so early.

Here is the trailer for the film, followed by a short review from me...

Four years in the making, the film covers the history of the Kakapo from before humans arrived in New Zealand through to the present day. It then details the conservation efforts that have brought the bird back from near extinction to the 124 birds we have today.

The conservation story begins with Richard Treacy Henry's ultimately doomed attempt to transplant Kakapo to Resolution Island in the late 1800's to keep them safe from stoats and weasels. The story then continues with Don Merton's rescue program of the early 1970's which led to the Kakapo being installed on Codfish Island. Don features in the film as he and a small team return to Fiordland to see if there is any chance any lone Kakapos are still out there.

Finally, the story moves to the present day, with Dr. Ron Moorhouse and the rest of the Kakapo Recovery Programme team, learning how to gently extract sperm from males and artificially inseminate the females in order to coax the genetic diversity of the population in the right direction - a project we now know to have been a success - see Kakapo Artificial Insemination a 2009 Success .

Sometimes heartwarming, sometimes deeply tragic, Scott's film is a wonderful record of the dedication shown by a team of passionate conservationists, who are all doing their bit to save the world's favourite fat, green, flightless parrot.

I heartily recommend you buy a copy as soon as it becomes available, with 25% of all profits going to the Kakapo Recovery Programme.

You can learn more, and become a fan of the project at their Facebook Page : The Unnatural History of the Kakapo.

Elwin Productions "The Unnatural History of the Kakapo" feature length documentary film is to be released on DVD on February 20, 2010. It will be able for purchase through their website, and other retailers may become available soon after.

You can learn more, and become a fan of the project at their Facebook Page : The Unnatural History of the Kakapo

I've embedded a PlayList of the THREE preview video clips currently released by Filmmaker Scott Mouat. All three clips will play automatically once you start viewing the video. Fans of the Last Chance To See TV series may recognize the little red hut in the the third clip...

[We] will follow the teams into Fiordland on the last great kakapo search and meet the men that rescued Richard Henry, we will follow them on a journey through the mountains as we search for any mainland survivors.

We will explore the world of genetics, led by the scientists who unravelled the kakapos genetic riddle, we will find out exactly what happens to a species on the brink of extinction and uncover a surprise among the Stewart Island males.

From the first successful attempts at extracting semen to the first artificially induced chick, we will stand beside these dedicated men and women as they do everything humanly possible to produce a new, healthy generation of kakapo.

Paternity tests by the Department of Conservation have confirmed that two of the 33 Kakapo chicks hatched in 2009 were conceived after artificial insemination of the females. The Southland Times has the story.

DOC kakapo recovery manager Deidre Vercoe said infertility had been a big problem and this was a significant breakthrough.
[...]
Six female kakapo were artificially inseminated using different sperm storage techniques. Sperm collected and refrigerated for two to five hours before insemination was the most successful method, resulting in two female chicks.

2009 was such a fabulous year for the Kakapo, but it looks like 2010 won't be quite as prosperous.

There was little rimu fruit ripening this year and the birds were not expected to breed.

As Sirocco and Mark's mating video surges past the 1 million views on YouTube, here's an album with some pictures of Sirocco when he just a chick.

According to TVNZ, Sirocco now has 4,000 Facebook friends and more than 2,000 followers on Twitter.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) spokeswoman Nic Vallance says it is great to know that people all over the world are interested in New Zealand's precious wildlife.

More than $3,000 has been donated towards the Kakapo Recovery Programme in the past week alone, thanks in large to Sirocco.

Donations can now be made using PayPal.

* $100 buys disease screening for one bird
* $250 buys a radio tracking aerial
* $1000 buys a portable incubator
* $1600 buys a radio-telemetry receiver

In TV news, TBIVision.com reports that the series has been sold to a number of broadcasters worldwide, so keep an eye on your local listings.

Last Chance to See has been acquired by ABC (Australia), Sky (New Zealand), NRK (Norway) and UKTV (UK)

Once more for fun...

Cast your vote at the annual Forest and Bird "Bird of the Year" poll. The Kakapo won in 2008, but this year's poll appears to feature many more birds.

Don't forget the Chatham Island Robin, which Don Merton saved from extinction during the early 1980s, with the population only included a single female.

The video of Mark Carwardine being shagged by Sirocco the Kakapo is rapidly becoming a YouTube sensation, as it nears one million views. It has been uploaded to YouTube by the BBC, so I'm able to embed it below. Radio New Zealand reports that the Department of Conservation is delighted with the attention, as donations to the Kakapo Recovery Programme have gone through the roof, especially as donations can now be made using PayPal.