Kakāpo come home

Four vigorous young males are relocated from the deep south to Waikato.

- ANDREA GRAVES

As might be expected from an exceedingly promiscuous species, kākāpö males can get bolshie. Some immature males are a particular menace, bossing females as they try to feed and interfering with nests. That's one reason four käkāpō that recently made an historic but slightly risky return to mainland Aotearoa were young males.

They arrived at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari near Cambridge in July with the blessing of Ngāi Tahu. Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Raukawa, Ngāti Hauā and Waikato now share kaitiakitanga of the taonga species, which is outgrowing its southern island refuges and needs new safe havens. These four came from Whenua Hou, off Rakiura Stewart Island.