Wildlife

Kea Welfare in New Zealand Alpine Habitats

The kea is the world's only alpine parrot, highly intelligent and endangered in New Zealand's South Island mountains, facing welfare pressures from predation, poisoning, and human conflict.

Key Facts

Welfare Considerations

Lead poisoning from accessible lead flashings on huts and tourist facilities causes neurological damage and death. Human feeding habituates keas to human environments where they face vehicle strike, poisoning risk, and conflict. Predation by stoats on eggs and chicks causes low breeding success in unmanaged populations.

What You Can Do