Breed For Release
Our team care for a range of Aotearoa New Zealand’s unique native species and are passionate about making a real difference to conservation efforts. Some of the Park’s key work is breeding threatened native species for release to the wild. Sadly many of our native species are endangered due to introduced mammalian predators, habitat loss and competition for food and territories by non-native species. We’re all in this together, as your visit is helping us to continue this important work.
We are privileged to contribute to Department of Conservation recovery programmes for some of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most endangered species.
Kākāriki karaka
Orange-fronted parakeet
Kākāriki karaka are a small forest parakeet, and with only a few hundred birds remaining in the wild they are New Zealand's rarest forest bird. They were once abundant in the South Island but are now only found in small pockets of Canterbury, predator-free sanctuaries and offshore islands.
- Our Work:
Orana joined the kākāriki karaka recovery programme in 2017 and has bred over 150 birds. These have been part of new release sites including The Brook Waimarama Sanctuary and Pukenui/Anchor Island.
- Visit:
You can visit our kākāriki karaka in the native aviaries located near the Kiwi House.
- Learn:
- Visit the DOC website
To learn more about kākāriki karaka and how you can help them thrive:
Brown Kiwi
Pāteke
Whio
Pepeketua