Two endangered takahē have got out of Tāwharanui Regional Park, a predator-fenced sanctuary north of Auckland, and may be looking for mates beyond its boundary, the NZ Herald reports. The birds, named Heaphy and Tawhara, made their way around a coastal section of the fence and have been tracked more than two kilometres from the park.
Auckland Council is working with conservation partners and nearby landowners to find them. Once located, the birds will be lured with food, guided into a container with nets and returned to an enclosure. Because birds that learn to escape tend to try again, they will later be moved to another protected population. The council has asked people to drive carefully, keep dogs under control and report sightings. Two takahē also escaped in 2019 and were recovered after 12 days.
Source: NZ Herald