For the last 6 weeks we have watched the real life drama of birds trying to survive in suburban Wellington. #kakacam has spawned a new set of international superstars – dubbed ‘the kaka-dashians’. You can watch the kaka chicks live here http://halo.org.nz/kaka-cam/

But our kaka chicks are not out of the woods yet. When the chicks first fledge, they stumble around on the ground for days while they are learning to fly. During this time they will be vulnerable to predators.

Motion triggered cameras placed around the nest suggest the greatest threat is cats – we have snapped 12 different cats near the nest box, and one cat in particular is really determined and has been trying to climb the tree. Thank goodness Menzshed made this nest box cat proof because cats kill Kaka! 

Wellington City Council, Morgan Foundation and MenzShed have worked hard together to bring the thrilling tale of Kaka in our midst to the people of Wellington. There are many nests around Wellington at the moment with chicks facing the same threats – this is just one. 

We have appealed to all those in the neighbourhood to keep their cats contained,  and of course some owners have done precisely that. But we still have too many domestic cats being drawn to the nest.

 

We’d like you (the public) to help us decide about this.

[polldaddy poll=9177538]

 

The problem with trapping cats is that many cats are not microchipped and registered so our ability to identify owners and return their cats to them is severely limited. The Regional Council, City Council and Government all have the ability to ensure that all cats in the area are microchipped, but they will only take action if the public ask for it.