Bumper breeding season boosts New Zealand endangered flightless parrots' population

STORY: Bumper breeding season boosts New Zealand endangered flightless parrots' population DATELINE: Aug. 9, 2022 LENGTH: 00:02:13 LOCATION: Wellington CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT SHOTLIST: 1. various of New Zealand's critically endangered kakapo STORYLINE: The population of New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrots, kakapo, has increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season. "There are now more of the endangered parrots than there have been for almost 50 years," Conservation Minister Poto Williams said in a statement on Tuesday. The flightless, nocturnal parrot is a species unique to New Zealand. They breed only every two to four years when the island country's rimu trees, or "red pine", produce enough fruit. During breeding seasons, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Ngai Tahu, the principal Maori tribe of the South Island, aim to have as many kakapo chicks raised in nests as possible. They only intervene with hand-rearing when chicks are at risk. This season 49 were r

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

(220809) -- WELLINGTON, Aug. 9, 2022 (Xinhua) -- File photo taken on Sept. 13, 2018 shows a Kakapo at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin, New Zealand. The population of New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrots, kakapo, have increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

(220809) -- WELLINGTON, Aug. 9, 2022 (Xinhua) -- File photo taken on Sept. 13, 2018 shows a Kakapo at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin, New Zealand. The population of New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrots, kakapo, have increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

(220809) -- WELLINGTON, Aug. 9, 2022 (Xinhua) -- File photo taken on Sept. 13, 2018 shows a Kakapo at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin, New Zealand. The population of New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrots, kakapo, have increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

(220809) -- WELLINGTON, Aug. 9, 2022 (Xinhua) -- File photo taken on Sept. 13, 2018 shows a Kakapo at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin, New Zealand. The population of New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrots, kakapo, have increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

NEW ZEALAND-FLIGHTLESS PARROTS-POPULATION

(220809) -- WELLINGTON, Aug. 9, 2022 (Xinhua) -- File photo taken on Sept. 13, 2018 shows a Kakapo at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Dunedin, New Zealand. The population of New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrots, kakapo, have increased from 197 to 252 in the 2022 breeding season. (Photo by Yang Liu/Xinhua)