Tai

Tai's banding was assisted by fourth year students from the Masters of Wildlife Management course at Otago University on a field trip to Fiordland, doing a session on alpine ecology. In addition to understanding how Keadatabase.nz is helping people interact with kea and scientists to learn more about kea movements and populations, the class did a session on alpine predators, lizards and invertebrates in the sunshine in the Homer and Gertrude Valleys in September 2023. As kea live until they’re more than 20 years old, it’s very possible that as students in the class go on to take important roles in conservation across the country, Tai will still be chilling along the upper Hollyford Valley in Fiordland. Elizabeth Franklyn was quick to volunteer to hold the kea while it was banded, and fittingly the leg bands were engraved ‘BF’ for best friend. Friend in Te Reo Māori is Tai, and she came up with the name after the start of their new friendship. “I can die happy now” - Elizabeth These words were overhead by Alexandria as her tiring arms were shading both Elizabeth and Tai from the hot sun.