Famous visitor a rare treat
Wellington’s Zealandia has announced Sirocco the kakapo will be living at the ecosanctuary for about three months from the end of September. It is the first time Wellington has hosted an adult bird.
Raewyn Empson, conservation manager at Zealandia, says Sirocco is the former internet sensation, famous for enthusiastically shagging Mark Carwardine’s head as Stephen Fry laughed from the sidelines in the BBC programme Last Chance to See. The incident was viewed by more than three million people on YouTube. The bird now has over 7,000 Facebook fans and more than 3,000 Twitter followers.
“Seeing a kakapo is a unique and, until recently, exclusive experience,” Empson says. “This is an amazing opportunity for locals and visitors to come face to face with one of the strangest, rarest and most characteristic of New Zealand’s native species.”
Kakapo are nocturnal so Zealandia will be offering tours to see Sirocco in the evenings over late September through to October. It’s hoped Sirocco may stay at Zealandia through into November but this has yet to be confirmed.
Sirocco is one of only 131 kakapo surviving today, most living on predator-free islands. He was hand-reared away from other kakapo after suffering respiratory illness.










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