Spring's cutest conservation success story

Heading into the Rees Valley this spring? Keep an eye on the tussocks.

You could be sharing the track with one of Aotearoa's greatest conservation comeback stories.

Takahē breeding season is underway, and if all goes well, visitors may be lucky enough to spot these remarkable birds with chicks in tow. It’s a special sight. Not just because takahē are rare, but because every new chick represents years of planning, partnership and hard work happening behind the scenes.

Once thought extinct, takahē are one of New Zealand’s most remarkable conservation success stories. And today, the Rees Valley is home to the country’s second-largest wild takahē population.

That didn’t happen by accident. Before the first birds were released in February 2025, Southern Lakes Sanctuary spent three years working alongside the Department of Conservation, Kāi Tahu, Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, local landowners and community partners to make the valley safer for one of the country’s most vulnerable species.

Since 2022, predator control across the valley has been significantly ramped up, building on more than a decade of trapping at the entrance to the Rees Valley by Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust. An extensive network of traps now helps protect takahē from stoats, feral cats and rats. It has taken tens of thousands of hours of work from dedicated field teams and volunteers but it is helping create the conditions for takahē to establish in the wild.

For a species that was once feared lost forever, that's an extraordinary turnaround.

As a funding partner of Southern Lakes Sanctuary, QLDC is proud to support this work, helping restore native biodiversity and create healthier ecosystems across the district.

How to be a good neighbour to takahē

Spring is one of the most important times of the year for takahē. Adults could be nesting, defending territories and hopefully caring for chicks, so a little extra consideration goes a long way.

If you're fortunate enough to encounter takahē in the Rees Valley:

• Admire them from a distance and resist the urge to move closer for a photo

• Never feed takahē (or any wildlife)

• Stick to tracks

• Move quietly and let the birds get on with the important business of raising the next generation

Be part of the comeback story

If you have binoculars or a good camera, keep an eye out for the coloured leg bands many takahē wear. By noting the colours and reporting your sighting to Southern Lakes Sanctuary, you're helping conservation teams track individual birds and monitor how the population is settling into the Rees Valley.

Every observation adds to our understanding of how these birds are using the landscape and helps guide the work that will keep their comeback going.

Did you know? The Rees Valley release followed three years of intensive predator control and habitat preparation, making it one of the most ambitious local conservation projects undertaken in recent years.

Photo credit: Southern Lakes Sanctuary