According to the estimate of experts, less than one thousand of the endangered kea are left on earth, of which five were reportedly shot by a disturbed gunman, recently.
 
Appalled by this sort of behavior, the Department of Conservation (DoC) said the matter had been referred to the New Zealand police.  As many New Zealanders would likely agree, the officials of the department said all five of the animals were young and healthy and would have gone on to contribute to future generations of the species.
 
Around three weeks ago, there was an aerial drop of 1080 poison across the Okarito kiwi sanctuary and the surrounding area.  The DoC drop covering around 30,000 hectares, saw 38 kea radio tagged for observation during the operation.
 
Of the nine radio tagged kea, at least seven from the Okarito region of the drop, it  has been reported have been found dead, as a result of eating poison baits.
 
Not for the first time aerial operations have led to the death of radio tagged kea, which along with kaka, and kakriki, are New Zealand’s three endemic parrots, and as everyone knows parrots are intelligent and curious.
 
Aerial poisoning operations have seen kea, kaka and kakariki dead, not surprising as DoC continues to ignore aerial operations’ devastating impact on these rare species.
 
The DoC misleading the New Zealand public about the benefits of aerial drops, aerially poisons more virgin land every year, when not a single scientific study demonstrates there to be any benefit of aerially applied 1080 poison to any native species.