there seems to be a lot going on in the world of the kakapo again:
Kakapo Update
The Kakapo is one of the rarest parrot species in the world, with only 91 known to exist. A native of New Zealand, the Kakapo is the only flightless and nocturnal parrot. It is also the heaviest, weighing up to 3.5 kilograms (8 lbs).
Why is the Kakapo threatened with extinction?
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Update on Conservation efforts
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source: www.birdbrains.ca
Poisoned kakapo fighting fit again
“When Lee arrived, we didn’t have tremendous expectations for him because we didn’t know what was wrong with him, and he was at a dangerously low weight,” Auckland Zoo vet Dr John Potter says in a statement.
They found he had toxic levels of lead in his system.
source: www.stuff.co.nz, video at 3news.co.nz
Eau de kakapo pulls the birds
Massey University biologists are researching the role of the native parrot’s sense of smell on breeding, raising the possibility of developing a synthetic kakapo perfume.
Associate Professor Dianne Brunton said it was likely body odour played a significant role in female kakapo mate choice.
source: nzherald.co.nz
update 2008-10-29:
Rare kakapo dies ahead of return to wild
A kakapo that had successfully been treated for lead poisoning has died a day before it was due to be returned to an island sanctuary.
The male kakapo Lee was due to return to Codfish Island today but he died suddenly at Auckland Zoo last night from a small tear in the side of his crop, the sac-like part of the digestive system where food is stored before it enters the stomach.
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Just 90 kakapo (44 female and 46 male), the rarest parrot species in the world, are alive today.
source: 3news.co.nz
see also: kakapo-related blog posts at thinkoholic.com (including photos)