Punanga Manu o Te Anau/Te Anau Bird Sanctuary celebrated the naming of the Takahe chick “Timata” at the sanctuary recently.
Te Anau takahe pair Tumbles and Kawa have done a great job of hatching the fertile egg at the Sanctuary in Te Anau and rearing the chick “Timata”, who is now five months old. The egg was fostered to the pair from Burwood Takahē Centre.
DOC Takahe Ranger Phil Marsh said “The name Timata was in reference to the Takahe chick, who was often kicking Mum and Dad’s legs asking for more food. Timata means 'kicking off' or 'start' in Maori. The Timata would be the kick off/start of another takahe, boosting generations”.
The Takahē team were also there to talk to the public about the Takahē Recovery Programme and give the chick its health check. While the chick had its vaccination a few weeks ago it was given a booster and weighed in at over 3kgs, but the team are unsure of its gender.
Tumbles and Kawa were also given a health check with blood tests and weighed. These checks ate usually undertaken by the team once or twice a year.
The sanctuary currently has four adults and one juvenile.
Tumbles and Kawa raised last year’s miracle chick Ehara. She now at Burwood Takahē Centre, awaiting transfer to Kahurangi National Park in 3 weeks’ time, said Mr Marsh.
In was in late November 1948 that Invercargill doctor Geoffrey Orbell identified a bird that had been presumed extinct for 50 years - the takahe.
The takahe-breeding unit at Burwood Bush, near Te Anau, now ensures the survival of the endangered bird.
The rare flightless takahe are the stars of the Bird Sanctuary and meeting these prehistoric-looking characters is a ‘must do’ for Fiordland visitors.
- Julie Walls
