PRESERVING THE WEKA—ALIVE

Te Ao Hou, December 1956, Page 64

PRESERVING THE WEKA—ALIVE Land owners on the East Coast are being asked by the Wildlife Division of the Department of Internal Affairs to help in protecting and preserving the rare North Island weka, a bird which, once numerous, is in danger of becoming extinct. The appeal is being made through the Poverty Bay Catchment Board, which will distribute to landowners, on the Department's behalf, a circular asking them to do what they can to discourage the destruction of the weka on their properties, and to report any cases of illegal taking of the bird which come to their notice. The Department has made available, through the Gisborne-East Coast Acclimatization Society, a supply of calico protection notices which may be had on request. Once, wekas were plentiful in most parts of the North Island. Today, though fully protected by the law, they are found in plenty only in an area of some 25 miles by 12 between Tolaga Bay and Gisborne, and not so plentifully in a surrounding area from North of Tolaga Bay to Tiniroto. The Department, concerned with the preservation of the weka, says, “once a species has become extinct, vain regrets cannot bring it back, as people in other districts of the North Island now realise.”