Kakapo

Remarkable and almost extinct flightless parrot

The kakapo is one of the strangest birds in the world. With wonderful behaviour, and very rare. Though almost extinct, you have a chance to see this bird.

It is also one of the most endangered species. This nocturnal parrot can not fly which makes the bird, its eggs, and its young easy prey for non-native animals such as cats and rats. As a result, only 50 animals lived in the 1990s. The English name is the same kakapo, while the Latin name is Strigops habroptilus.

The kakapo is one of the most extraordinary animal species in the world. It is a parrot that resembles an owl. It only lives on the islands of New Zealand, it is rarely spotted.

Unique not flying bird

It is one of the strangest birds in the world. Kakapos live to be extremely old, more than 90 years is normal. They are also large, sometimes as much as 60 cm. In recent years, numerous measures have been taken to protect the animal. The chance that you will encounter this bird is almost zero, but if you do it is big news.

Animal of the year in New Zealand

In 2020, the kakapo was named New Zealand’s Animal of the Year. Something that already happened in 2008. The elections in 2020 were very tumultuous, as it turned out that there was heavy fraud. It turned out that someone had voted for the kiwi more than 1,500 times. After which the election became world news.

Comedian and sex-hungry kakapo are hit on the internet

It is a legendary video on the internet. The famous English actor Stephen Fry goes in search of the almost extinct kakapo. Their meeting unwittingly reveals the problem of New Zealand’s species. Note the comedian’s commentary.

British actor and comedian Stephen Fry was on Stewart Island in New Zealand for his documentary series Last Chance To See from the BBC. He learned about the rare animals that live there and met Sirocco, a male kakapo.

At first, they only wanted to film the animal, but Sirocco is shy about something: a female. This creates a spectacular scene. With unique commentary by Stephen Fry. The video has now been viewed millions of times on YouTube.

Best place to see this animal

On Stewart Island in the southern part of New Zealand, you have the unique opportunity to meet the kakapo. This large wingless night parrot has been released on Ulva Island. Tourists can get acquainted with this animal. Book it on time, because this tour is very popular. There are probably still some of these nocturnal animals living in the forests, but you probably won’t come across them on your own. So this tour is the ultimate opportunity.

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