Conservation ambassador

Conservation ambassador

Sirocco the kākāpō conservation superstar. The kākāpō who thinks he's human

Sirocco caught a respiratory illness at three weeks old. Treating it meant he had to be hand-raised and kept away from other kākāpō and as a result became imprinted on humans - he doesn't know he's a bird, he thinks he's one of us.

He's still not interested in other kākāpō; he doesn’t associate with them, and instead he booms in the presence of humans. In fact, his bowl (where male kākāpō boom to attract females) is on the track to the toilet behind the hut on Whenua Hou or Codfish Island.
Conservation ambassador

While he is unlikely to be an effective breeding bird, Sirocco's preference for human company makes him a valuable ambassador for his species.

Because kākāpō are so rare, it’s difficult for the public to get an opportunity to see one. Sirocco lets people connect with this rare and unusual species. He remains a wild bird in that he does not live in captivity, but he has visited a few places in the last few years so that people could have the opportunity to see a kākāpō.