Greg the Takahe Passes Away

It was sad news that I heard that Greg the Takahe died on Sunday. One of only 260 surviving Takahe’s remaining. His contribution to increasing the birds population and awareness of the conservation programmes thru his self appointed ambassador role live on.
Thought to be extinct in 1948, breeding programmes like the one on Tiritiri Matangi Island have enabled the species to be reintroduced back to it's native alpine grasslands.

I had the privilege to spend a little while with the mighty bird a few years agoand thought I would share the video here.

If you get the chance to go to Tiri Tiri matangi Island on Aucklands WhangaparaoaPeninsula it’s definitely worth the trip to experience first hand the greater fforts that the conservation programme has made to what was only a few decades earlier barren farm land.

Such has been the emotional responsefrom those whose lives have been touched by this bird that the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi are planning to set up a fund in Gregs memory, to be used for future conservation projects on the island.