See you, Jimmy - 151 k¯ak¯apo¯ left in NZ
Only 151 ka¯ka¯po¯ remain in New Zealand following the death of Jimmy - a beloved member of the critically endangered species.
Department of Conservation (DOC) ka¯ ka¯ po¯ expert Dr Andrew Digby said Jimmy died on December 12 as a result of complications following a veterinary procedure.
DOC suspected Jimmy had a broken wing, so they flew him from Whenua Hou island to get a check-up in Invercargill. An X-ray cleared him of broken bones and Jimmy returned home.
But a post-mortem has since found the intubation tube used for inserting anaesthetic exacerbated the situation, leading to Jimmy’s death.
‘‘It’s not completely uncommon, but it’s one of the risks with anaesthetic,’’ Digby said. ‘‘This is normally a very low risk procedure, so we decided it was worth it in this case.’’
Jimmy was one of the 63 original birds on Whenua Hou island flown there from Stewart Island in 1983 to help grow the population.
Only 32 of the founder birds are left, and Digby said Jimmy was one of the older ones.
‘‘Unfortunately, he had never produced offspring. He had mated before but never produced chicks,’’ Digby said. ‘‘It’s a real shame he hasn’t been able to pass on his genetic material.’’
‘‘They all have quite different personalities, and Jimmy was a good one.’’