The History of the kakapo - a story of drama, despair and hope

A ground-dwelling parrot that lived on the isolated landmass of New Zealand for thousands of years, the kakapo evolved into one of the world's most remarkable birds.

But with human colonisation, and the introduction of predators such as stoats, cats, rats and dogs, the species plummeted towards extinction.

By 1995, there were only 50 known kakapo surviving, on a handful of small island sanctuaries.

Today, with a world population of 126 and a comprehensive Kakapo Recovery Programme underway, the kakapo is on its first tentative steps to recovery.

In this section, we outline the history of this fascinating bird, and the work that is underway to save it from extinction.