Ninety kākāpō, including new chicks, to be vaccinated against bird flu
New Zealand conservationists are vaccinating endangered bird species, including the kākāpō, against the H5N1 bird flu. This proactive measure aims to protect vulnerable populations as the virus spreads through the region.
Why it matters
Proactive vaccination of endangered species represents a critical strategy in preventing the extinction of rare wildlife during global disease outbreaks.
<p>The Kākāpō Recovery Programme is positive about the vaccination programme rolling out, as the deadly bird flu arrives on our shores.</p> <p>A seabird found on Wellington's Petone Beach earlier this week <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/16/why-brown-skua-what-to-know-about-nzs-first-case-of-h5n1-bird-flu/" target="_blank">tested positive for the virus</a> on Wednesday.</p> <p>The Department of Conservation (DOC) began vaccinating core breeding populations of kākāpō, takahe, kakī (black stilt), tuturuata (shore plover) and kākāriki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet), as the bird flu spread through Australia and after a successful trial of the vaccine was completed last year.</p> <p>"It was a world first doing this in advance of the virus itself arriving in the country," DOC kākāpō vet Lydia Udstrom told Kākāpō Files II podcast host Alison Balance.</p> <p>The vaccination programme for kākāpō is focused on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, where there is a large overlap with petrels and seabirds.</p> <p>"They're often the species that will carry this virus from place to place," said Udstrom, "They're…
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