Kakapo, that's me
My name means night parrot, and yes, I am nocturnal. I am the only owl parrot and I weigh about 3 to 4 kilos. That makes me the heaviest parrot ever, even though I eat almost exclusively vegetarian diet. I eat all kinds of plants, seeds, fruit and even mushrooms and tree sap. Unfortunately I can't fly, but I can run and climb all the better. My pretty and particularly soft, moss-green plumage really smells of honey and flowers. I can reach a proud age of over a hundred years. There are so few of us left that each of you humans have given us our own names.
That's where I live
New Zealand is my home. Until a few hundred years ago, I had been one of the most common bird species there. All Kakapos that are known to exist have been relocated to two small islands for conservation reasons: Anchor Island (Pukenui), which is located in Tamatea / Dusky Sound, part of the Fiordland National Park, and Codfish Island / Whenua Hou, which lies off the west coast of Stewart Island.
So many of us are still around
We were thought to be extinct, but in the 1970s a few of us were discovered.
In 1994, 47 animals were counted. Thanks to the Kakapo Recovery Program, 247 adult Kakapos were counted at the beginning of 2024.
That's why we have problems
Our females only become sexually mature at around 9 years of age and then only breed every four years or so, when the rimu tree in particular bears a lot of fruit. I then only lay 1 to 4 eggs, so I reproduce very slowly. I also have no flight reflex, which makes me easy prey. Dogs, rats introduced by humans,
cats, ferrets and weasels make off with me and my chicks and eggs.
In addition, my habitat has been restricted by agriculture.
People in the 19th century also hunted me for my meat and feathers. They also knew that I was endangered, but instead of helping me, they hunted me even more to get as many feathers as possible, before I become extinct.
NFT
Our artist created a beautiful NFT that can be found and bought on our NFT marketplace. With every trade of our NFTs, a percentage is donated to the organizations who help the most in saving exactly these species!
The adorable Slow Loris is more than just our mascot. It's a symbol of the delicate beauty and vulnerability of all endangered species. With RescueLoris, we've taken the playful nature of meme culture and infused it with a powerful purpose, to protect and preserve the creatures that share our planet.
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