Kaka Parrot – Native to New Zealand

Four Kaka parrots had to be euthanised at the Pukaha Mount Bruce Wildlife Centre after developing hereditary diabetes.

The Kaka parrot is native to New Zealand and is classified as nationally vulnerable. It is estimated that the current population of Kaka parrots is between 1,000 and 5,000.

The young birds were kept together with their parents in captivity at the Waiarapa sanctuary. It was a very difficult decisions to make but the four juvenile kaka parrots had to be put down last month after a long consultation process with the Department of Conservation (DoC) and Massey University’s Wildlife Hospital.

The young birds were not doing very well and when making the decisions the Centre had to take into consideration the Kaka population as a whole. The birds would have needed ongoing lifelong treatment and there was no way they would survive in the wild without it. Also there was the danger of passing the disease generally to other birds if they happen to breed. The parents are well despite passing the hereditary illness to their chicks and will be used again the parent chicks but will not be bred in the future.

The Centre has more tha 200 wilk Kaka parrots and plays a vital role in the conservation of this amazing species.

At present there is no cure for the illness.

Source: Radio New Zealand

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