![]() ![]() ![]() “It’s crazy but it’s ambitious, and I think it might be worth a shot. ![]() The songs in those sanctuaries are echoes of the New Zealand that was.īut perhaps, they also represent the New Zealand that could be. Many species now persist only in offshore islands where rats and their ilk have been successfully eradicated, or in small mainland sites like Zealandia where they are encircled by predator-proof fences. ![]() They have already driven a quarter of the nation’s unique birds to extinction. Between them, these predators devour more than 26 million chicks and eggs every year. Gentle and grounded, they were easy prey for the rats, dogs, cats, stoats, weasels, and possums that were later introduced by humans. Many of them, like the iconic kiwi and the giant kakapo parrot, lost their powers of flight. In this furless world, local birds evolved a docile temperament. Until the 13th century, the only land mammals in New Zealand were bats. There, I realized how the nation must have sounded before it was invaded by mammals. There, their tunes are not a scarce treasure, but part of the world’s background hum. But Zealandia is a unique 225-hectare urban sanctuary into which many of the nation’s most critically endangered species have been relocated. Much of New Zealand, including national parks that supposedly epitomize the concept of wilderness, has been so denuded of birds that their melodies feel like a rare gift-a fleeting thing to make note of before it disappears. It came in every flavor-resonant coos, high-pitched cheeps, and alien notes that seemed to come from otherworldly instruments. I was a 15-minute drive from the center of Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, but instead of the honks of horns or the bustle of passersby, all I could hear was birdsong. T he first thing that hit me about Zealandia was the noise. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |