Conservation Heroes: Richard Henry

 Richard Henry

One of our 124 kakapo is named after a man who tried to save the species, way back in 1894. His name was Richard Henry.

 
Richard Henry in Dusky Sound. Photo Dr Roberts.

This Irishman created the world’s first island sanctuary for birds in Fiordland, after he realised what damage rats, stoats and possums were doing to our native bird populations.

He transported around 700 kakapo and kiwi out to Resolution Island in order to save them from being eaten. It was tough living on the island – it often rained for 200 days of the year!

He lived there alone as the caretaker. All he had was a dinghy, a very small shack and his feathery friends. Later, a friend gave him a camera and took some of the first pictures of our birds. He built his own darkroom.

Over the years, he built up a good picture of their habits, diet and, most importantly their breeding habits. He described the kakapo’s boom as ‘distant thunder’.

Tragically, some stoats were found on the island in 1900. Defeated, he handed in his resignation and left the island. If only we had had more forward-thinking people like Richard Henry!

Richard Henry died at the age of eighty four. The local postman was the only one who attended his funeral.

However his green feathery namesake, Sir Richard Henry, still lives on. He is living in semi-retirement on Codfish Island, and has fathered two children – Sinbad and Flossie.