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Farewell to two of our juvenile takahee

2 September 2022

Once again, it was time to translocate two juvenile takahē that hatched on Maungatautari. Early this month Waitii and Waitaa were translocated to Te Anau.

Named after the Matariki star representing fresh water, Waitii was a juvenile hatched in the wetland to parents Hemi and Nancy. Waitaa, named after the Matariki star connected to salt water, was hatched in Cooper’s Enclosure to pair Puiaki and Pirie. Their names were selected from all the entries to a competition we held last year.

After a karakia they were securely placed and taken to Hamilton Airport to be loaded onto an Air New Zealand flight to Queenstown Airport. From there, they were driven to Burwood Bush in Te Anau to begin their new lives as part of the Department of Conservation Takahē Recovery Group breeding programme. During their stay they will be taught survival skills and monitored in new pairs or groups before they will be moved on to their next homes.