The kaka's return

The return of South Island kākā to the the Ōtepoti Dunedin area has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. Claire Concannon hears about the tragedies and the triumphs, and the plans for what comes next.

The sun filters through trees as tūī and korimako compete for space at the sugar water feeders behind the Orokonui Ecosanctuary aviary. The giant bird cage contains three South Island kākā, waiting to be released, the hopes of many local groups resting on their feathered shoulders.

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Orokonui Ecosanctuary sits in the hills just north of Dunedin city. Three hundred and seven hectares of land cleared of pests and enclosed with a predator proof fence. It is a safe space for native birds such as South Island robin, tūī, kiwi and korimako, as well as for tuatara, skinks and geckos - watched over by conservation manager Elton Smith and ranger Kelly Gough.

In 2008 six South Island kākā were released into the ecosanctuary, the beginning of a plan to re-establish a population of these birds, long lost to their ancestral Otago home. Different to North Island kākā, their South Island cousins are also found in Ulva, Codfish and Steward Islands, Waitutu and Eglington valley in Fiordland and in Kahurangi national park. The population in Orokonui Ecosanctuary has been growing since that initial release, with 49 birds counted in the latest survey, but it has also suffered some setbacks. One of which was the infamous 'year of the stoat', in 2015, when several stoats managed to get inside the fence and raided the sanctuary for a few months before they could be caught and killed.

While supplementary feeding entices them to stay around the ecosanctuary, kākā don't pay much heed to the $2.2 million predator proof fence that they fly over, and the population has also suffered losses due to 'deaths by misadventure' on the outside. But through collaboration with a group of organisations, the team at Orokonui Ecosanctuary are hoping these latest three juvenile birds that have come from the Dunedin Botanic Garden aviary will bolster the numbers, and live safe and happy lives.

The South Island kākā breeding programme at the Dunedin Botanic Garden, in its eleventh year, continues to help kākā parents in their aviary to raise new chicks, to supplement those breeding inside the ecosanctuary. Aviary curator Alisha Sherriff is currently in charge of this programme and works closely with the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital to ensure the birds are kept healthy and well, and fit for release…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details