Flightless, not hapless

sir – I enjoyed your report (September 9) on the successful breeding programme which has led to increased numbers of New Zealand’s kakapo.

However, your description of this large, rotund and impressive parrot as “one of the most hapless animals in the world” is somewhat harsh. True, it can no longer fly and is largely grounddwelling. But in a country which lacked any mammalian predators until man came along and introduced them, evolution had equipped the kakapo to fit into its own ecological niche, its green plumage camouflaging it perfectly on the ground.

It’s only through the prism of our own interference that it now appears out of place.

Jon Rollinson

Balsall Common, Warwickshire