It was sadly reported today in New Zealand that during an authorised cull of overly abundant pukekos (Porphyrio porphyrio) on Motutapu Island reserve four critically endangered and somewhat closely appearing takahe (Porphyrio hochstetteri) were also shot. Takahe represent an ancient lineage of rail that colonised New Zealand much earlier than pukekos, and like the New Zealand storm petrel are one of the few species to come back from the dead, having been rediscovered in the Murchison mountains in 1948 by dedicated wildlife biologist Dr Geoffrey Orbell. Today they have been translocated to many offshore islands to ensure their safety from predation, the number one cause of their decline.

Pukeko (left) and Takahe (right) illustrating similarities and differences (Photo by Jim Eagle)

Following the recent controversy surrounding Cecil the lion, it seems animals being in the ‘wrong’ place at the ‘wrong’ time has again created serious conservation conflict. As human populations continue to encroach on wild places and modify environments such human-wildlife conflicts will only continue to happen. In this case the cull was authorised by the New Zealand Department of Conservation using local hunting association volunteers. Pest control of overly abundant species, whether native or introduced, often implements lethal control techniques. Anyone choosing to kill a target, whether for hunting or pest control, or any other reason, must always act in the most responsible way possible, as the taking of another individual’s life should never be done lightly. Having just earned the right to bear arms with my own hunting licence I am keenly aware of this, there is no implicit joy in taking another animal’s life.

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