Auckland Zoo senior vet Richard Jakob-Hoff's arm is a handy perch for kakapo chick Hananui 2. Photo Brett PhibbsA very special New Zealand chick, Hananui Two, is just one of 124 Kakapo left.
She has been in hospital at Auckland Zoo for over a month, but is now finally healthy enough to return home to Codfish Island.
Enticing her to come out and play is easy – the five-month-old is a sucker for affection.
Auckland Zoo senior veterinarian Richard Jakob-Hoff is her doting surrogate parent – he has even learnt to imitate the sound Hananui’s mother makes.
But tomorrow the bird will return to her home on Codfish Island after an operation on her foot and a course of antibiotics.
“She had a very sharp hind claw, and managed to stab herself in the bottom of the foot,” says Mr Jakob-Hoff.
Hananui Two is just one of 124 Kakapo left“She’s a baby. She is actually the equivalent of a toddler. So they tend to run around and get themselves into trouble.”
Just the smallest sign of trouble is a big problem when you are already the world’s largest and most endangered parrot.
Their entire population stands at just 124.Because the Kakapo are so rare, zoo staff have to be incredibly careful about keeping her safe from disease, and there is a strict quarantine process before they can have any contact with her.
Mr Jakob-Hoff says that after a month with her, he will miss Hananui – a bird he believes is aptly named.
“I think it means big flame,” he says.
“She is a big flame on our hearts. I mean, when you get lucky enough to work with a bird like this, you realise what wonderful personalities they are and how unique they really are. Boy, they’re worth saving.”
Now Hananui can also put her best food forward to help save her own species.