Ninety kākāpō, including new chicks, to be vaccinated against bird flu
The Department of Conservation in New Zealand is vaccinating endangered bird species, including the kākāpō, against bird flu. This proactive measure aims to protect vulnerable populations on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island before the virus spreads further.
Why it matters
This represents a significant conservation effort to prevent the extinction of critically endangered species from a global avian influenza outbreak.
The Kākāpō Recovery Programme is positive about the vaccination programme rolling out, as the deadly bird flu arrives on our shores.
A seabird found on Wellington's Petone Beach earlier this week tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
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.
"It was a world first doing this in advance of the virus itself arriving in the country," DOC kākāpō vet Lydia Uddstrom told Kākāpō Files II podcast host Alison Ballance.
The vaccination programme for kākāpō is focused on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, where there is a large overlap with petrels and seabirds.
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