The kakapo is the cute, dopey, ground dwelling giant parrot of New Zealand. The biggest. The heaviest. And perhaps the most endangered of the parrot species, with only 67 birds. After most of the animals were killed for food or feathers, or eaten by dogs and cats, the remaining population of the species were brought to predator free islands off the NZ coast.
Repopulation has been slow, but the odds have just gotten better! A BOOM of egg laying, sometimes four eggs at a time for a bird that usually lays one or two has produced 47 eggs in the last few days. And it's not over yet. The boom is linked to mass fruiting of the rihu tree. Kakapo tend to eat the rich fruit to build up strength for laying and tending young.