Flightless Bird Takahe, Declared Extinct In 1898, Returns To New Zealand Wild

The large flightless bird named Takahe thought to be extinct decades ago, has made a comeback to the forests of New Zealand's South Island, The Guardian reported. Last week, 18 Takahe were released in the mountains in South Island to try to boost a small population in the wild.

The return of these prehistoric creatures to the wild marks a significant moment for conservation efforts in the region. These birds were reintroduced into the Lake Wakatipu valley, an alpine area on the South Island, where they had not been spotted for nearly a century, the Guardian reported.

Takahe is a flightless bird of nearly 50 centimetres in size, has been an intrinsic part of New Zealand's ecosystem since the prehistoric Pleistocene era, as evidenced by fossil remains, the report added. The plump birds have a strong red beak, stout legs and bright blue and green feathers. They grow up to the size of a large hen and weigh as much as 3 kg.

"They're almost prehistoric looking," says Tumai Cassidy, of Ngai Tahu. "Very broad and bold." Front-on, their bodies can appear almost perfectly spherical - coupled with the blue-green plumage, they look like a model planet Earth perched atop two long, bright red legs.

According to a BBC report, the birds breed once a year and raise one to two chicks. They can live up to 18 years in the wild and 22 years in sanctuaries. They eat starchy leaves and seeds.

The media report said that Waitaa and Bendigo joined an existing pair of takahe. New Zealand's native birds evolved before the ascent of mammals and are vulnerable to predation by land predators introduced by human settlers.

"After decades of hard work to increase the takahe population, it's rewarding to now be focusing on establishing more wild populations, but it comes with challenges," said Doc's Deidre Vercoe after last week's release.

"Establishing new wild native species populations can take time and success is not guaranteed. If we want takahe to thrive, we need to explore new sites and learn as much as we can to protect the birds now and into the future."