Correspondence

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 125, 14 April 1891, Page 2

Correspondence

THE KEA. TO THR EDITOR OF THE STAR. fc>ra,— lt being rumoured that the Go- . verument intend to vote a sum of money for the extermination of the kea, or "sheep killing. -parrot," a few lines discriptiveof the birdandits habits will doubt*, less interest your reader's. The kea is yery similar to the kaka though much stronger and is oarnivorons,; - It inhabits the snow clad ranges of the Middle Island and it is only since it has taken to tho * obstruction* of rabbits and sheep that it; has made its appearance below the snow line. The exact time at which the bird started to kill sheep is not known, but. it was noticed that the birds increased after the rabbits had spread to- the hills, and since it has taken to feed upon mutton it has multiplied to such an extent as to become an object of alarm to the.squatters. The bird's mode of attack is to alight on the sheep's back and- tear its way into the kidneys from .which it extracts the. fat, and as it requires a fresh sheep for every meal it is apparent that vast numbers of the latter must be lost , every year ;. but that is riot the worst by a long way, the appearance; of the birds ig quite sufficient to frighten the sheep ; which immediately., run together and make for the nearest gully, where numbers of them are s mothered in the snow, or by each others weight. Some seven or eight years ago the Goyernineht setaside a sum of money to be used in exterminating the kea, the runholders in the districts frequented by the ibhrds, also contributing, v The Government gave 2s and thesquatters Is per beakj and some good cheques were made while th© moneys lasted, but no- permanent benefit was derived, the birds multiplying very quickly^ and being spread over f such a large extent of country" and that, in the majority of cases, inaccessible., I am quite sure that whatever sum rhay now be devoted to the extermination of the : kea will be thrown away, unless soma other means than shooting them aro resorted to, and as the bird prefers to- kill its own food and then is contented with. ; the kidney tat alone I don't see in what manner they are to be exterminated, iv conelusipn I may say that the- birds are a far greater source of mischief to fhe sheep farmers than the rabbits, and any- ! one who could devise an effectual jmeans ; of destroying them : would be conferring c, : benefit, which I am sure would be grate • ally recognised by the runholders along the Southern Alps.— lam, &c. r Henky Osborne, Feilding, April 11th, 1891. .;