KEA !

One of the things I wanted to see when we went to South Island was a kea!
In North island it was a takahe (and I've already blogged that moment!)
What is a kea?
It's a kind of parrot, an alpine parrot that lives only in the snowy mountains of New Zealand.
It only became protected in 1986, before that they were killed for bounty because it was thought that they preyed on sheep. Not true! Now there are believed to be only 1000 left.



Kea are legendary for their intelligence and curiosity,and studies have shown Kea to be able to solve logical puzzles, such as pushing and pulling things in a certain order to get to food, as well as working in teams to achieve a certain objective. Who's a clever bird then!



We stopped at the side of the road before entering the tunnel and encountered this one. Apparently kea are attracted by the prospect of food scraps from us humans. He seemed quite at home right next to us!



Their curiosity leads them to peck and carry away unguarded items of clothing, or to pry apart rubber parts of cars - to most people's entertainment and some people's annoyance. We saw them unpacking someone's rucksack!



They are often described as "cheeky" and are now fully protected. They even have their own road sign!