Kakapo are the world's heaviest parrot and one of the most intensively managed species on Earth, with individual welfare decisions made for each of the approximately 250 remaining birds.
Kakapo welfare management is uniquely intensive given the species' critical status and the individual significance of each bird. Every individual receives named identification, regular health monitoring, and veterinary intervention when needed. The high level of human management creates some welfare concerns around handling stress and semi-wild conditions, but the alternative without intensive management would be rapid extinction. The conservation program's success in growing the population from 51 to over 250 demonstrates that intensive welfare-conscious management can deliver both individual and population-level outcomes.