Do you know why the kākāpō is so perfectly suited to life on the whenua?
In this video, our conservation learning facilitator Talena shares pūrākau, special facts and a beautiful whakatauākī about the kākāpō in honour of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.
Auckland Zoo would like to acknowledge Ngāi Tahu as kaitiaki of this charismatic taonga species.
Ngāi Tahu and the Department of Conservation’s Kākāpō Recovery Team have worked to increase the populations of kākāpō and today the species sits at an incredible 247 birds.
The whakatauākī shared in this video was composed by the late Ngāpuhi Kaumātua Riki Cherrington and Tāne Davis, from Ngāi Tahu. It honours the importance of kākāpō as a taonga species to iwi, reflects on the role of this manu in the natural world, and recognises the role conservation has played in saving the kākāpō for generations to come. Our thanks and appreciation to Tāne Davis and Ngāi Tahu for permission to use the whakatauākī.
This is the first in our three-part series for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, so stay tuned to hear more from our kaimahi!