We saw this guy on the South Island. He stopped and kindly posed for a picture for us. I think he was on his way to get a pie. Bacon and egg is my favorite. Not sure what his favorite is - I forgot to ask because I was so excited to see a moa.
And we saw this fellow on the North Island. Notice how he tries to blend into the bush. Moas are notoriously shy creatures, which is why you don't see them very often.
I'm not sure why this myth that the moa is extinct is so prevalent in New Zealand, as well as the rest of the world. Just the other day, I read this article in the New Zealand Herald about Labour MP Trevor Mallard raising the idea that the moa could be brought back from the dead. But not just any moa, as according to Mr. Mallard it would be foolish to have the 3.5m variety roaming around. As he points out:
"They would be dangerous. But the ones 1.3m tall (and 1.8m tall) don't weigh much more than turkeys. I'd like ones I could pat on the head, rather than the ones that are going to bowl us over."I don't know what surprised me more - that Mr. Mallard thought this was a good issue to talk about in the run up to the election or the fact that he thinks they are actually extinct? Even the Prime Minister knows that they aren't extinct. As John Key pointed out, "there are a few Moas in the Labour caucas."
I guess the good thing about this news story is that it has highlighted the danger that moas are in. Look at this sign for example - an entire business dedicated to hunting the moas down.
And do you know what they do with the moas they kill? They turn them into {gasp} beer. It's true - check out this site here. They even tried to serve me some on Air New Zealand the other day. Of course, I said no.
But with your help, we can put a stop to it. Join the Moa Preservation Society and work with us to help keep moas around for generations to come. It only costs $25 for your annual membership - what a bargain! And it can be any variety of dollars you like - US, Canadian, New Zealand, Australian etc. You get the idea. Make sure you send it to us in cash and mark the envelope, "Urgent - Large Cash Donation Enclosed." That will ensure the post office gets it to us promptly, as well as safe and sound.
If you want to see some more inspirational pictures of moas, you can check out my Pinterest Board which is dedicated to the subject. I've recently discovered Pinterest - why didn't anyone tell me about it before? It is amazing how many hours can evaporate just like that when you're looking at pretty pictures of things like moas and adding them to your boards.
Once we receive your $25 donation, we'll send you one of these lovely membership certificates which you can proudly display in your home or on your boat.
Thanks for stopping by our blog - we love it when people come visit! We're also on Facebook - pop by and say hi!
Embarrassingly, I didn't even know what a moa was! I had to look it up whilst reading your post! x
ReplyDeleteThis is why the work of the Moa Preservation Society is so important. We need to spread the word about the moas of New Zealand so that people are aware of their plight :-)
DeleteWhat a brilliant, funny post Ellen. Don't you just love NZ for setting an example in how not to take yourself too seriously eg Mr Key's comment that Kiwis are more interested in snapper quotas than they are in who is spying on their emails etc. I'm an avid follower of the political debate about moas and would encourage Mr Mallard to get some tall ones, not just short ones :-)
ReplyDeleteHappy to send $ for one of those membership certificates.By the way, Moa beer is actually very yummy :-)
Lynn
Thanks Lynn! Election season in NZ seems so laid back here compared to other places - I love it. And snapper is probably one of the bigger issues - I remember all the controversy when they made the changes to limits and size recently. I will gladly send you a certificate. I figure anyone who loves animals (like you) should get one without making a contribution. In fact, anyone who tells me they've made a donation to an animal charity such as SPCA or the Humane Society is an automatic member of the MPS and entitled to a certificate.
DeleteAnd as for Moa beer, I may have inadvertently tried one before I realized what it was made of. It did taste yummy until I found out about its key ingredient :-)
You've officially made it on to my "most favourite bloggers" list, as well as being added to our blog. I have your $25 Moa Membership Money (MMM for short) sitting in an envelope, ready to be mailed. It's in Ecuadorian dollars unfortunately, so you probably will have a tough time spending them, however, they will be good to show your friends. Now, where is a stamp?
ReplyDeleteHeather
sv Sundancer
Thanks so much Heather - very excited to have made the cut! Look forward to receiving the MMM and showing my moa friends what Ecuadorian dollars look like. They're very interested in learning about other countries and cultures. :-)
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