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Kakapo: Rescued From The Brink Of Extinction
The kakapo is one of New Zealand's most charismatic yet mysterious birds. It is also one of the world's most threatened species and a New Zealand conservation success story. An ancient, flightless, nocturnal, herbivorous giant parrot, the kakapo was once numerous throughout the country but is now extinct in its natural range. At its low point, the population was reduced to as few as 40 known individuals, but thanks to the hard work and innovation of the Kakapo Recovery Programme, New Zealand's fl agship threatened-species conservation programme, the kakapo population now exceeds 120. Despite this exciting turnaround, there has not been a significant book on the kakapo since 1989. The story of this remarkable bird embraces science, conservation, ingenuity and personal dedication. Through an informative and entertaining mix of hard facts, history, and accounts of the daily and seasonal routines of kakapo and their minders, Alison Ballance brings together these threads to describe the natural history of the bird and tell the inspiring story of the Kakapo Recovery Programme. Illustrated throughout and with an appendix giving details of all known kakapo, this book will appeal to anyone with an interest in the natural world of New Zealand.
276 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 3, 2023
Although I was at first rather majorly questioning and wondering whether the oh so very many accompanying photographs that are to be found in Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction might also and perhaps prove to be a bit of a distraction and even move readers away from Alison Ballance's presented text, I indeed very quickly changed my mind and yes, completely so, I may add. For in Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction the multiple photographs are (in my humble opinion) and most definitely just as important and as essential as what the author, as what Alison Ballance textually shows and demonstrates to us, to her readers (especially since kakapos are so elusive and so very rare, and furthermore, the photographs in Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction also tend to demonstrate visually and aesthetically just how much hard work, how much expense and how much total dedication and determination towards saving the kakapo are involved and are required when trying to hand rear and protect vulnerable kakapo chicks, when attempting to guarantee the species' survival on Codfish Island and to also make sure that the kakapo's recovery will actually end up lasting and being a permanent scenario).
A wonderful but also at times sadly and necessarily frustrating reading experience is Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction, and in particular when one becomes aware of the many set-backs and false starts that have occurred (and of course also infuriating are the presented reasons why kakapos are so critically endangered in the first place, and I do indeed also rather think that Alison Ballance should in Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction definitely be a bit more openly and vehemently critical towards the dangers posed to kakapos and other endemic New Zealand birds by feral domestic cats and yes also by irresponsible cat owners who still often seem bent on allowing their pet cats to freely roam outside even though it has now been proven beyond any doubt whatsoever that domestic cat predation is in fact a huge danger, a huge threat to kakapos and other endemic New Zealand bird species and that well and really, domestic cats that roam outside should be considered a pest in New Zealand and one that needs to be rigorously controlled and managed in a way to limit the threats and dangers caused by domestic cats to endemic wildlife).
However, even with my personal attitude and consideration that I strongly do believe Alison Ballance should be rather more critical with regard to domestic cats (and especially feral domestic cats) and the havoc they seem to generally wreak on New Zealand's native and endemic fauna, I still do indeed very highly and warmly recommend Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction, as both Alison Ballance's printed words and the accompanying photographs have indeed and certainly done a generally wonderful and amazing job demonstrating why and how the kakapo is so critically endangered, as well as showcasing in meticulous detail the current efforts to rescue the kakapo from extinction (and of course with the appendixes and especially the detailed bibliography and that it presents not only books but also television documentaries on the kakapo as well as relevant websites being to and for me the absolute icing on the cake so to speak).
A wonderful but also at times sadly and necessarily frustrating reading experience is Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction, and in particular when one becomes aware of the many set-backs and false starts that have occurred (and of course also infuriating are the presented reasons why kakapos are so critically endangered in the first place, and I do indeed also rather think that Alison Ballance should in Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction definitely be a bit more openly and vehemently critical towards the dangers posed to kakapos and other endemic New Zealand birds by feral domestic cats and yes also by irresponsible cat owners who still often seem bent on allowing their pet cats to freely roam outside even though it has now been proven beyond any doubt whatsoever that domestic cat predation is in fact a huge danger, a huge threat to kakapos and other endemic New Zealand bird species and that well and really, domestic cats that roam outside should be considered a pest in New Zealand and one that needs to be rigorously controlled and managed in a way to limit the threats and dangers caused by domestic cats to endemic wildlife).
However, even with my personal attitude and consideration that I strongly do believe Alison Ballance should be rather more critical with regard to domestic cats (and especially feral domestic cats) and the havoc they seem to generally wreak on New Zealand's native and endemic fauna, I still do indeed very highly and warmly recommend Kakapo: Rescued from the Brink of Extinction, as both Alison Ballance's printed words and the accompanying photographs have indeed and certainly done a generally wonderful and amazing job demonstrating why and how the kakapo is so critically endangered, as well as showcasing in meticulous detail the current efforts to rescue the kakapo from extinction (and of course with the appendixes and especially the detailed bibliography and that it presents not only books but also television documentaries on the kakapo as well as relevant websites being to and for me the absolute icing on the cake so to speak).
April 4, 2015
This is a great book!
It take you from the very early days of Kakapo conservation, to more recent times. It's interesting to watch the 'evolution' of the systems, methods and technology.
If you are interesting in animals, conservation of highly endangered species, etc etc. You will love this book!!
It take you from the very early days of Kakapo conservation, to more recent times. It's interesting to watch the 'evolution' of the systems, methods and technology.
If you are interesting in animals, conservation of highly endangered species, etc etc. You will love this book!!
February 11, 2013
Such a beautiful book! The switch from letting the kakapo do their thing to greater involvement (watching nests, hand-rearing chicks not doing so well, artificial insemination) has brought the kakapo back from almost extinction. It is so cool to think that Douglas Adams wrote about the kakapo in Last Chance to See and his co-writer visited NZ with Stephen Fry to see the kakapo again a couple of decades later.
February 12, 2020
The author has portrayed her close relationship with this project beautifully. The photographs are stunning, and the information is of a high quality and extremely interesting. Loved reading it cover-to-cover, and will continue to enjoy dipping in and out of it.
September 23, 2024
Really interesting, learned heaps. It’s updated to 2010, so I want moreeee !
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews