Female kākāpō raise their young unassisted, incubating their eggs and feeding the chicks while walking long distances for food. Here an adult named Alice feeding her 12-day-old chick is photographed in her nest on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island by wildlife officer Don Merton. He had been involved with kākāpō recovery since the first birds in the managed breeding programme were tracked down in Fiordland in the 1970s, and later on Stewart Island. Alice lived as a wild bird, but was watched closely to ensure her chicks had the best chance of survival.
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Reference: 10034704
by Don Merton
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