April 2009

Twelve breeding pairs of the highly endangered pateke (brown teal) are being released at Mountain Landing as part of the Department of Conservation’s brown teal recovery programme.

A small ceremony marked the release of the first pair of the small native dabbling ducks onto the property this month.

The pateke, some of which will be fitted with transmitters, will be carefully monitored in their new home, where conservation staff are hoping they will set up a new breeding colony.

With fewer than 1000 now living in the wild, the pateke is New Zealand’s rarest waterfowl species on the mainland. The move to set up a new breeding area at Mountain Landing, chosen for its strict predator control, is a significant step for the recovery programme.

The first pair were brought over from Urupukapuka Island in the eastern Bay of Islands by members of the Department of Conservation and kaumatua (elders) from nearby Te Rawhiti marae.

They were accepted by Development Manager Peter Jones on behalf of Mountain Landing and by kaumatua Hugh Rihari on behalf of the local iwi, Ngati Torehine.

The ceremony, which included karakia (prayers) and waiata (songs), represented the gifting of taonga (treasure) from the people of Te Rawhiti to the local tangata whenua (people of the land).

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