Extinct Animals : Kagu

This strange, flightless bird, the sole representative of its family, is a forest dweller of the Pacific island of New Caledonia. It was trapped in early times by the Melanesians, and later by Europeans who trapped them for pets and for the profitable plume trade of the early 1900s.

The kagu gradually retreated to the interior mountains and valleys, but much of this remaining habitat was destroyed because of nickel mining. Domestic dogs, cats, pigs, and rats are presently its most serious threat.

Now considered endangered, the kagu receives full legal protection. A forest park is being developed, which it is hoped will ensure the continued existence of the last living members of this species.