13 July 2004

Kakapo - National Treasure At Risk

New Zealand First’s conservation spokesman Edwin Perry has expressed concern that a mystery disease has caused the deaths of three kakapo chicks on Chalky Island.

“Kakapo are a national treasure and the loss of any of them puts the recovery programme at risk.

“The present situation will also be most stressful for DoC staff and volunteers who have worked for years to preserve and increase the population,” said Mr Perry.

“Given the length of time it takes for kakapo to breed these people have definitely been in it for the long haul.

“We hope that DoC staff are successful in finding the source of the infection as soon as possible so that they can take whatever measures are necessary to safeguard the remaining birds,” said Mr Perry.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>