Despite the fact that I am home today and am having to wrestle with every bit of self-control imaginable to keep from going stark raving mad due to the sixteenth showing of the exact same Sailor Moon video, I feel I must comment on this New Zealand Herald article sent to me by kindly War Liberal Mac Thomason: Birds back in the Waitakeres as possum count falls.

It's frightening in its overtly specieist and antipossumite tone--

A dream that Aucklanders might one day hear kiwi calling in the wild could be a step nearer after a native bird comeback in the Waitakere Ranges.

After five years of possum-trapping over 30,000ha of the ranges almost all bird numbers have risen, but four native species have done particularly well. A five-year study carried out since 1998, when the Auckland Regional Council launched its $1.3 million Operation Forestsave, showed tui numbers had increased by more than 50 per cent while the kereru, or wood pigeon, population had more than doubled.

Fantail and tomtit numbers also nearly doubled.

The Forest and Bird Protection Society is determined that one day kiwi, kokako, bellbirds and robins will join them.

"There's no reason why kiwi and others can't do as well as these other species have done," said Forest and Bird Waitakere chairman Dr Peter Maddison.

He admitted it could take as long as 10 years but said a "pulsing" method of predator control - hitting pests hard at the beginning and during the bird breeding season - meant it was feasible. [...]

Conservation groups have been working towards intensive pest-free zones in the ranges through the Ark in the Park project but Dr Maddison said Aucklanders had no comparable project to Wellington's Karori Wildlife Sanctuary.

Little spotted kiwi were introduced into the sanctuary last year.

OH SURE! Everyone goes on and on about the precious tomtits--"tomtit" this, and "tomtit" that...and those filthy "little spotted kiwis." "Oh, if we could only hear the call of a kiwi." Balderdash! Stories like this just make me SICK! All this talk about "predators" and "pest control"--these are POSSUMS, not vermin! Possums have to eat too, you know, and what better than a nice crunchy little bird egg. You probably had some for breakfast just this morning, DIDN'T YOU!

And what are these antipodes trying to save? Wood pigeons? PIGEONS?! Have you ever seen a POSSUM land on a statue and evacuate its lunch? No! But it's always, "Oh, look at the pretty birdies," or "Watch the birdie," for taking a picture, or "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." Pitiful and horrendous.

It's enough to make me want to throw myself under a car. Or eat as many kokakos as I can.
posted by Terry at 12:35:00 PM