Conflict with Humans

Source Author Year Title Quote
Academia 2014 Lorne Roberts 2014 Population estimates of wild Kea (Nestor notabilis) “Continuing persecution by humans is also a threat to kea population stability. The most recent incident occurred at Arthur’s Pass where two juvenile males were shot and stapled to a sign…In 1995, 27 kea were also shot and dumped at the Fox Glacier dump…and those few birds identified as sheep killers continue to be culled by DoC staff.”
www.keaconservation.co.nz 16/01/2014 T. Orr-Walker 2014 Trialling of a surface bird repellent to deter kea from interfacing with human objects “Persecution of kea by people who consider the birds to be a pest is a significant issue for the species. In 2011 alone 5 kea were shot in Arthur’s Pass, 1 kea was shot in what appeared to be a related incident on the West Coast and two of our study birds in the Hawdon Valley (Arthur’s Pass) were found dead in suspicious circumstances.”
Kea Conservation Trust Updates June 2014 Kea Conservation Trust 2014 Conflict issues continue – Queenstown and Motueka “conflict continues to be an issue for a number of communities around the South Island…with some groups accepting that kea are part if the environment they live in and others unwilling to make compromises for the birds.”
Kea Conservation Trust Updates June 2014 Kea Conservation Trust 2014 Conflict issues continue – Queenstown and Motueka “Kea were recent regular visitors at the Skyline Gondola in Queenstown throughout April and May, causing damage to chairlift cables, machinery and signs…personnel at the gondola also see the value of having the birds around and are keen to put a strategy in place …Unfortunately kea in the Motueka area have not been as well received with a number of people and businesses wanting them removed from the local area.”
Kea Conservation Trust Updates June 2014 Kea Conservation Trust 2014 “Our latest kea repellent trials are currently underway on a Queenstown high country sheep station. On 6 May 255 sheep were sprayed with the repellent and let out with  a control group (unsprayed) made up of 346 sheep. No kea were heard or seen in the area while our worker, Paul van Klink,  was on the station.”
Kea Conservation Trust updates 16/12/13 Kea Conservation Trust 2013 Kea Conservation Trust (KCT) Update “6 of the 7 kea causing damage to properties in Kaiteriteri (Motueka) were caught up by DOC in September and relocated to Canaan Downs (15 kms away). After 4 of these returned to Kaiteriteri 2 days later they were caught up by KCT in October and moved to Rotoiti (90 kms as the crow flies)”
Kea Conservation Trust updates 16/12/13 Kea Conservation Trust 2013 Kea Conservation Trust (KCT) Update “…people who live in or near kea habitat must ensure they take responsibility for limiting negative interactions by not feeding kea and protecting their belongings as much as possible”
Stuff.co.nz 06/09/2013 Alastair Paulin 2013 Pesky kea shifted to new hilltop home “We thought we had a leak in the house but it turned out to be kea were eating rubber that was around our hot water cylinder. They are beautiful birds but man are they destructive?”…She had tried to shoo the birds away with a hose. “They fly away and have a wee chat and then come back and laugh at you…”
Nestor Notabilis 6 T. Orr-Walker 2012 Winter Advocacy Tour “The West Coast has historically been a kea trouble spot with populations of kea heavily persecuted by locals or poisoned during 1080 aerial operations.”
Nestor Notabilis 6 Matt Charteris 2012 Research Projects “…the issues impacting on this species; specifically predation, unintentional pest control by-kill, lead poisoning, feeding of kea by tourists, on-going persecution, sheep flagging and damage to human property”
Nestor Notabilis 6 Paul Harper 2012 DOC shocked five Kea shot dead “DOC field centre supervisor, Chris Stewart, was appalled by the incident…’Kea are endangered and their wild population could be as low as 1000 birds’ Mr Stewart said.”
Nestor Notabilis 6 Paul Harper 2012 DOC shocked five Kea shot dead “The incident occurred in the same week that a dead kea was dumped on the driveway of a DOC staff member…”
Nestor Notabilis 6 T. Orr-Walker 2012 Letter from the Chair “2011 has been a challenging year…a number of extreme lows – kea shot in Arthur’s Pass, minimal nesting success at two key study sites and pest control related deaths on the West Coast…keas George and Jake – casualties of lead and leg-hold traps respectively”
Kea Conservation Trust Updates Dec 2012 T. Orr-Walker 2012 Decline of kea threatens alpine plants “As well as illegal hunting and pet trade activities, predation, competition for resources with introduced mammals and humans, lead poisoning and habitat degradation have led to the decline in the kea population, Dr Nelson said.”
Kea Conservation Trust Updates Dec 2012 T. Orr-Walker 2012 Decline of kea threatens alpine plants “Kea are considered by researchers to be one of, if not the most intelligent bird species in the world. This intelligence and curiosity has created difficulties with humans resulting in severe persecution of the species over the last 150 yrs.”
Wellington Zoo Sarah 2012 Part Two- let the adventure begin! “There were two kea that were still quite young (about one) that jumped onto a man’s car as he was driving away, and pulled something out of his aerial and a big bit of his rubber door seal!”
NZ Dept of Conservation Internal Science Series 181 Graeme Elliot & Josh Kemp 2004 Effect of hunting and predation on kea, and a method of monitoring kea populations “To use the destruction of kea as a tool in their management we would need to be confident that the population was stable or increasing and safe from extinction. The destruction of kea by the Department of Conservation staff is only justifiable when the failure to kill some birds would result in a much larger illegal kill of kea”
MSC Thesis, Linoln University R. Brejaart 1994 Aspects of the Ecology of kea, Nestor notabilis (Gould) at Arthur’s Pass and Craigieburn Valley. “Jackson recorded causes of death for 74 kea, which were banded over a 10 year period (1957-1967) in the Arthur’s Pass area. Twenty nine of these were deliberately destroyed. Of the remaining 45, 14 died directly or indirectly, as a result of human activity (Jackson, 1969)”
Notornis 16: 33-44 J R Jackson 1969 What do keas die of? “If a kea is shot where Keas are protected the culprit is reluctant to admit it, however, many have been generous enough when they noticed the kea had been banded to report its death. Especially suspect is the category “run over””.
Notornis IX: 39-58 J R Jackson 1960 Keas at Arthurs Pass “26785 female adult, was banded at Arthurs Pass 4/8/57 and shot at Jacksons, 14 miles away 10/8/57. Probably her nest was at Jacksons and she flew this fourteen miles up the Taramakau Valley and the Otira Valley, over Arthurs Pass and down the Bealey Valley to Arthurs Pass township and back in one day”