The smallest species of kiwi bird, thought to be extinct for 50 years, has been discovered in New Zealand, RIA Novosti reports, citing local radio station RNZ.
According to the country’s Department of Wildlife Conservation, the pukupuku kiwi, or small spotted kiwi, which has not been found in the country since 1978, was found by department ranger Ian Graham in a remote conservation area on the west coast of the South Island.
“I heard the kiwi’s cries on the first night… and I immediately knew they were different from other species,” the publication quotes Graham as saying.
He specified that the search for the bird lasted several days and was like a “roller coaster”, and after the discovery, the ranger collected several feathers for research.
According to the department, the pukupuku species is extremely vulnerable to predators and can only survive in fenced areas. There are currently only about two thousand of these birds left in the wild, but their numbers are gradually increasing thanks to conservation efforts.
