The remarkable hīkoi of Tahu, a female takahē

Apr 29, 2024

Tahu, a female takahē, has been on a remarkable hīkoi and narrowly escaped danger.

Tahu was one of the ‘founder birds’ released into the Greenstone Valley in August 2023 in the hope of establishing a population of these precious manu on this whenua. Prior to this, Tahu had spent a year at the Burwood Takahē Centre where she learned essential skills such as how to feed on tussock, and the importance of summer green fern as a food source.

Tahu was paired with Tucker, a male who was a good genetic match for her, and they were released as a pair into the Greenstone Valley, a couple of kilometres north of Steele Creek. Unfortunately for Tahu, she was kicked out of her home by another female takahē and was captured on a trail camera in late November looking rather beaten up and miserable.

 

In mid-January, Tahu was fitted with a replacement transmitter as her initial one had been failing. She looked healthy and the Department of Conservation (DOC) Takahē Recovery team made plans to release her further up the valley with another male manu.

However, Tahu could not be located via helicopter tracking on the day of her planned relocation.

On Easter Monday, 1 April, a lone takahē was spotted wandering near the northern Mavora Lakes Campsite, which was very busy with Easter campers. The Mavora Lakes Ranger called the DOC team (who initially wondered if it was an April Fool’s joke) but pulled together a team from the Burwood Takahē Centre to go in and investigate.

When the team found Tahu about a kilometre from the campsite she was not in a good way. She had lost about 25% of her normal bodyweight and had an infected foot as a result of being bitten by a stoat or a ferret.

James Bohan, Site Lead, Burwood Takahē Centre with Tahu

 

If Tahu had not been found it is likely that her infection would have spread and may have ended her life. She is either very lucky or very clever to have walked out to a place where she could be seen by people who could arrange help for her.

Tahu was found over 39 kilometres from where she was last observed in the Greenstone Valley on 12th March. This is a very long way for a takahē to travel in just over a fortnight and DOC staff believe that she was likely searching for a mate.

Map showing the route travelled by Tahu

Tahu was taken to the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital for treatment, and we are pleased to report that under the care of the hospital kaimahi she has made a full recovery.

She will now be paired with a new mate at the Burwood Takahē Centre, where they will stay for the winter before being returned to the Greenstone Valley in spring.