Zealandia
« Previous post in category · Next post in category »Went to Zealandia today, a wildlife sanctuary in the middle of Wellington city. Payed for both the exhibition, and the sanctuary valley.
The exhibition was small, but very interesting. It told the story of what New Zealand was like before man came to its shores, and how it changed with the introduction of man, and the many animals and plants which he brought over. There’s lots of heart-warming displays on conservation efforts in New Zeland, like the story of the Robin which was down to its last breeding pair, but has been brought from the brink back to a stable population. Despite all this, there are still a huge number of birds that have become extinct, and a long list of birds which are endangered.
The Sanctuary Valley is a valley which has been made predator free, and will hopefully continue to be so through the use of predator proof fencing. You can walk the many paths of this area and see lots of wildlife - many endangered species, and others which used to be very uncommon in the area. The project has brought many native birds back into the Wellington area, as the birds are not confined to the sanctuary (except of course the flightless ones).
North Island Kaka
Kaka at a feeding station
Parakeet
Bellbird
Hihi (Stitchbird)
The feeding station draws in the birds.
Bellbird
This guy kept pecking at my backpack.
View across Zealandia valley
Weka - giant insects which perform the same role as mice.
South Island Takahe
gannets
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