this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
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Science

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Prehistoric bird once thought extinct returns to New Zealand wild (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 year ago by anon6789@beehaw.org to c/science@beehaw.org
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In New Zealand, the return of wild takahē populations marks a cautiously celebrated conservation victory, and the return of one of the world’s rarest creatures. The birds had been formally declared extinct in 1898, their already-reduced population devastated by the arrival of European settlers’ animal companions: stoats, cats, ferrets and rats. After their rediscovery in 1948, their numbers are now at about 500, growing at about 8% a year.

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[–] taldennz@lemmy.nz 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I missed the other ones... Must've been hiding behind the first one...

[–] liv@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Long tailed bat and short tailed bat.

We used to have 3 but the bigger version of short tailed bats died out.

[–] taldennz@lemmy.nz 10 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

Two! Two bats!

(The actual bats don't look anything like these bats. This is just a tribute)

[–] anon6789@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Lol, you two have me picturing literally just 3 bats in the whole country and the middle one being upset he isn't biggest or smallest and is plotting to take one of the other 2 out.

[–] liv@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Want a another fun fact? The bats evolved to spend a lot of time just walking around on the ground.

And, there's a special species of fly that lost the ability to actually fly, and for transport it rides around on the backs of the short tailed bats.

Edit: links in next comment.

[–] anon6789@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I enjoy that I can no longer tell if you are serious or not!

What a country! 😂

[–] liv@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

All my fun facts are 100% real! Footage of short tailed bat walking around on the ground.

Wikipedia entry on Bat Fly .

Department of Conservation bat blog about the flies, with pictures.

Hmm this bat is so cute I might go post it on an ecology community now. :-)

[–] anon6789@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

The bat is definitely cute!

[–] liv@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

I really need a photoshop-like app on my phone for things like this.