Mt Bruce to the rescue

The official "extinct" status for the South Island native bird, the Kokako this week, has spurred on staff at Pukaha Mt Bruce national wildlife reserve in northern Wairarapa to ensure the conservation of its North Island counterpart.
They presented restrained confidence yesterday that they can save the North Island kokako.
"We are right up there and definitely winning I'm thrilled to say," said biodiversity ranger, Tony Silbury.
The North Island bush once teamed with the long-legged, noisy bird but forest clearance by settlers and the invasion of predators such as stoats, rats and possum has had their numbers whittled down to only a few hundred today mainly in Northland, the Pureora Forest near Taupo, the Urewera Ranges and at Pukaha Mt Bruce.
The breeding programme at Mt Bruce aimed to save the North Island kokako is keenly watched by conservators throughout the country.
It plans to build a nucleus of a bird population which will progressively be released into the wild in the North Island.
The South Island habitat does not suit the northern bird.
Pukaha Mt Bruce wants to get around 25 breeding pairs to create a "safe, robust population".
At present there are three pair in the captive breeding programme and another six pair living free in the Mt Bruce forest.
Ambitious long-term aims are to have 1000 breeding pair in the forest by 2020.
Mr Silbury said the news of the permanent demise of the South Island bird only reinforces their work to save the North Island kokako from the same fate.
"We've still got a way to go but each year we breathe a bit easier as kokako breeding pairs produce chicks, which successfully leave the nests and settle in the Mt Bruce forest," said.
The first pair released into the Mt Bruce bush was in July 2003 ? around 40 years since the North Island kokako was last seen free at Mt Bruce by pioneer conservator, Elwyn Welch.
"Kokako are really quite a brutal bird when it comes to parenting. There's 18 days in the egg, 30 days in the nest and then the parents literally boot out their offspring out to fend for themselves.
"If they breed early enough in the season, we can get two hatchings," said Mr Silbury.
This resilience is what the rangers are relying on to save the North Island kokako, but he said they can't do it on their own.
Ridding the area of predators has become paramount to the bird's survival.
Mr Silbury has been working for the Department of Conservation in Wairarapa for 10 years but in the last four years has concentrated on pest control at Mt Bruce.
This labour intensive operation has five people per week out feeding poison bait lines aimed at possum, rats and stoats.
There's 110kms of trails through the busy with a bait station every 100m.
Mr Silbury said the kokako is promised a life of around 20 years if not at risk from predators.