First kakapo chick hatches since 2011
Painstaking repairs to a crushed kakapo egg have paid dividends with the arrival of the first kakapo chick since 2011.
There had been concern Lisa One would not survive after the egg was last week found crushed, on the nest.
The chick, belonging to kakapo mother Lisa, hatched on Friday evening under the anxious gaze of the Kakapo Recovery team, on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island.
Senior ranger Jo Ledington did an incredible job carefully repairing the egg with tape and glue, programme manager Deidre Vercoe Scott said.
"We only have five viable eggs on Whenua Hou and this one was the first laid. It was touch and go for a few days but with the special care and expertise of our team, the dedication has paid off," Ms Vercoe Scott said.
Lisa One is in an incubator on the island and receiving round-the-clock attention, including regular feeding, weighing and checks. It will be several weeks before it’s known which sex it is.
The other four eggs are also in incubator care and are expected to hatch at various stages during the next few weeks.
Lisa One’s arrival has increased the total population of the critically endangered New Zealand parrot to 125.
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I break down into tears very VERY easily when I talk/hear about kakapos.
This makes me happy on a very deep level.
This deserves a rare parrot happy dance
Ok, so maybe it’s a Kakapo attempting an awkward unsuccessful mating with Mark Carwardine… but that can still be a kind of happy dance!
