Page 8 - Whenua Hou News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Whenua Hou diving petrel. Photo: DOC There are just 200 of the birds left at a single breeding colony in the dunes on Whenua Hou, near Rakiura / Stewart Island. The birds - known as kuaka in Ngāi Tahu dialect - were once widely found in coastal dunes across southern New Zealand, but it wasn't until 2018 that it was discovered they were a distinct species of petrel. However, invasive predators destroyed all breeding colonies except one. Although Whenua Hou has been predator-free since 2000, other threats remain, including storms, climate change, and competition with common diving petrels. Th...

Vaughn Fisher said they were mostly “the remnants” of the wars between Kāti Māmoe and Ngāi Tahu, which were well blended by the later 19th century. Paororo's gravestone in itself, is indication of his standing, Fisher said, given it was still a mostly western practice at the time. He is credited as a chief of the Kāti Māmoe and Ngāi Tahu tribes, as well as the Kati Huirapa and Kahea hapū. Paororo was also listed as the chief of the Aparima kaik during the 1853 Māori census, and worked with the principal chiefs on the sale of Murihiku, and later, Rakiura.

Critically endangered Whenua Hou diving petrels, or kuaka in Ngāi Tahu dialect, may need greater protection from lights on vessels in seas surrounding...

Chris McKeen/Stuff Margaret Maree, a kākāpō from Codfish Island, has survived her battle with a potentially fatal fungal lung infection (first published in 2020). The need for a new home for New Zealand’s critically endangered kākāpō is growing ever more important as the species nears a near breeding season. Kākāpō currently reside on four predator-free islands – Codfish Island/Whenua Hou, Te Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island, Chalky Island/Te Kakahu and Anchor Island. But their current habitats have hit capacity and the Department of Conservation is searching for a new islan...

With a growing kākāpō population, they did expect to see more deaths. Chances of survival for the large, flightless parrots was much higher than under normal conditions, as they were closely monitored and catered for, but as populations grew, nesting spots and resources were in demand. Matakana was one of the kākāpō affected by aspergillosis, and treated at the Wildlife Hospital in Dunedin, where she became well known for her suspicious glares at the team whenever she was approached. Pōtonga was a member of the Wind Dynasty, one of matriarch Nora's great-grandsons. Brodie Philp/Sup...