Have you heard of a Hector’s dolphin? Do they
have predators, or are we the predators? Why are they only in New Zealand? I
think that hector’s dolphins should not be endangered, because this mammal is
so beautiful that they are the key to my heart. We should work with the Bank
Peninsula Sanctuary to re populate them.
The Hector's dolphin is one of the smallest
dolphins in the world, they do not exceed 1.5m in length. They like to eat
small fish and squid. This amazing mammal is endemic to New Zealand, meaning
they’re only found here. Did you know that Hector's dolphin fins are curved
like a rugby ball and their white belly is for camouflage? When their predators
are looking up, they wouldn’t be able to see them and then when their predators
look down on their grey silvery back, they will be camouflage again so they
will not be able to see them. So now you know how unique they are, don’t you think
they’re worth saving?
Hector's dolphin have many predators which
are Sharks, orca and even us humans. They can defend them self against a Shark
and Orca by working together to frighten the predator away. But they are
powerless when caught in a fishing net. They are a mammal and need to breathe
air. When caught in a net, they are stuck under the water and drown. Hector's
Dolphins do not migrate like other dolphins, there only location is here in New
Zealand, specifically the South Island and the West coast of the North Island.
If we all work with the Bank Peninsula Sanctuary this mammal will still get to
exist.
The Bank Peninsula Sanctuary is a place where
they keep species like Hector's dolphins safe by banning most fishing. Do you
care about the beautiful hector’s dolphin? Well I certainly do, also did you
know that hector's dolphins are more rare than a kiwi? If we didn't care
about this type of dolphin they would no longer exist. To help the dolphins you
can report dolphins that are stranded or in distress. Also, next time you’re in
Christchurch, head out on a Black Cat cruise because some of the money that you
pay will help save the dolphins. I would do anything to save them and I hope
you would to. We can all work with the Bank peninsula sanctuary to make them
not endangered and help their population increase by 5% per year and maybe
eventually get to 10% increase each year.
Dolphins like bottlenose dolphins are
not endemic and go all across the world
But hector's dolphins on the other hand are
endemic to New Zealand. They don't leave this beautiful country so it’s up to
you great people to get off your butt and save them because no other
country will do it. Now you know about the hector's dolphin you have no excuse
to not save them. What will you do to save the Hector’s dolphin? Thank you.
By Tane Kelleher
The first time I went to the South
Island I wanted to see only one bird. As I stepped out of our car I was created
by dozens and dozens of mosquitos. They definitely weren’t what I was looking
for. After a walk to the majestic mountains we’d arrived back at our car. We
got the biggest surprise of our life. There were green parrots pecking at our
window wipers! It was the bird I had been hoping to see - the Kea. I personally
think that we should all get an opportunity to see these amazing
birds!
If you’ve never seen a kea and you’re on the
lookout, they’re an olive green parrot with a scarlet underwing. So if you’re
up in the snow and you see a green and scarlet flash flying by you’re most
likely gazing at the world’s only alpine parrot found only in the South Island
of New Zealand. This makes them extremely unique which is why I think 100% of
all New Zelanders should get the chance to see these cheeky mountain
dwellers.
Their cheeky nature sometimes gets them into
trouble like this fun fact. Once a kea locked a DOC ranger in the Muller hut
toilet at Mount Cook! It is this thrilling inquisitiveness that makes them
endangered and vulnerable to predators. This is because they like to hang
around human camping sites and campervan parks. It is these humans that have
introduced the biggest threats to the kea and their habitat.
Keas have a number of pests including rats,
stoats, possums and cats. Keas nest in holes in the ground in native forests
which makes their nests easy to access. So if a stoat or a rat happens to be
slinking by and sees a hole in the ground they quickly nip in while the mum is
gone. Scoring themselves a delicious meal.This means that they are endangered
and numbers range from only 7000 - 3000 left. So if we don’t do something soon
there’ll be no more kea left in the whole entire world! It is so simple we can
just get pest traps from Bunnings.
You might be wondering why scientists haven’t
been able to track down the exact number. It is because they live in the
southern districts of the Hurunui River that stretches into the high country of
Nelson and Marlborough and up into the mountains. They travel long distances
making the exact number hard to count. The area they live in provides the food
they eat such as leaves, flower buds and fruits, together with insects. But
people are reducing their habitat for farmland, so we need to protect the
forests and their habitat before they become extinct and lost forever.
By introducing pest traps and protecting our
native forests, we can help save these unique and inquisitive birds from
introduced predators like rats, cats, people and so on! Next time you go to the
South Island I hope you are lucky enough to have Kea destroy your car! So do you
want these awesome birds to die out? What can you do to help?
By Tiia Cooke
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