Which Animals Live in National Parks?

Don't worry, I will not introduce every animal in an alphabetical list. Please excuse me, but I cannot address topics such as swimming with dolphins without being off topic.

For now, I prefer to give you a general picture of what awaits you during your future stay. We will have the opportunity to discover each species in detail in future articles.

If most animals can be encountered in nature, sometimes you may have to visit wildlife parks to observe them more easily (I will tell when this solution should be considered).

The most famous animals in the country are not necessarily the most incredible, but are often the cutest. It's time to introduce you to the extraordinary fauna of New Zealand!

Its long beak has an excellent sense of smell allowing him to dig the earth in search of earthworms. It may seem harmless, but a kiwi won't hesitate to defend its territory with its claws. It is, however, too weak to fight against new predators introduced by man.There are still 70,000 kiwis from six different species with brown or grey plumage. If the decline of the species has been reduced thanks to the mobilization of the population, the kiwi is still on the endangered species list.

Observing these strange birds in nature is difficult because they only come out at night. The best solution is to visit a park such as the Rainbow Springs in Rotorua. Thanks to the late opening times, you can spot kiwis in large outdoor enclosures.

Like the kiwi, the Weka is a bird that lost its wings after living too long on the ground. New Zealanders have a hate-love relationship with this very special animal, known to be stubborn and pugnacious.

Deeply attached to its territory, the Weka does not accept to move easily. People often joke by saying that the only way to get rid of a Weka is to take him 50 km away by car.

Watching a Weka in the country is anything but difficult, because this animal does not fear humans. You can expect to see him crossing a trail without giving you the slightest interest in the Paparoa National Park. When the Weka was not considered as a pet, many Maoris used to cook him in a pot. It was often a less strenuous way to get rid of his cumbersome presence. One must say that the Weka has the annoying habit to visit homes in search for food.

One has to see this parrot opening backpacks to realize how smart he is. For some reason, the kea attacks the rubber joints of vehicles. A funny show to watch, except, of course, when it is done on your own car!

There is another species with an unusual talent: the Tuis are not parrots, but they are able to mimic the human voice to perfection. Perched in the trees of the two islands, they often surprise the hikers.

With its long legs and blue feathers, the Pukeko inhabits swamps where it feeds on plants. If you arrive before the flood of tourists to the lake Matheson, you're likely to see it.

The Tuatura for its part resembles a lizard, but it belongs to a branch of crocodiles dating back to the time of dinosaurs. It can live a hundred years, and can hold his breath for over an hour to catch insects more easily.

A Tuatura would, however, be quite surprised if it was dealing with a Weta. Perfectly harmless for humans, the biggest grasshopper in the world weighs almost 70 grams! You will meet the weta in the Waitomo caves and even sometimes in town! Its name means “ugly” in the Maori language, and I think the word is well chosen.

Several species of dolphins are swimming off the beaches of New Zealand. The Hector's dolphin measures one meter and a half and is the smallest of its kind. Its big brother, the dusky dolphin is the most playful and famous for its spectacular acrobatics. As for bottlenose dolphins, they love to race with ships (and they often win).

Fur seals nearly became extinct but the ban on hunting saved them. The colonies were repopulated and today there are 60,000 seals living across the coasts of New Zealand. Do not forget to read my article on Kaikoura you will discover a waterfall and a pond visited by baby seals learning to swim.

The blue penguin of New Zealand can be spotted mainly on the shores of the South Island. It might be because it is the smallest penguin in the world (only 40 cm high for 1 kg) but it is a very shy creature.

As for yellow-eyed penguins, they are even more fearful. You'll find hideouts to observe them nearby Dunedin or in the Catlins.

Endangered, the katipo spider is easily recognizable by its red and black body the size of a marble. Only a thousand of these spiders still live in New Zealand under the rocks of deserted beaches of the west coast of the North Island.

Its venom can be deadly, but a serum is available in all hospitals. The katipo only bites in the last extremity, and the last human death caused by it dates back to the 18th century!

The chance of seeing a White Tailed Spider (a species originally from Australia) is a little higher. Because of its rakish body with a white spot on the abdomen, it easy to recognize it. It is after all the biggest spider in the country.

It does not build cobwebs and mostly attack other spiders. Gardens and curtains are its usual hunting grounds. Its bite is not deadly, but causes nasty itching and sometimes nausea. There is no particular reason to be afraid of this spider.

However, the sandfly is the only species that you should be afraid of! This tiny gnat is living in the Fiordland or the West Coast. Its bite causes redness and itching lasting for weeks if you forget to use a repellent.

Finally, although one often forgets to talk about it, there are sharks off the coasts of New Zealand. We count twenty attacks on humans since 1990, which is not negligible, but no deaths have occurred since 1972, because the rich waters of the Pacific provide plenty food for the sharks.

Highly valued for its fur, the possum (not to be confused with the opossum) came from Australia by boat in 1837. Paradoxically, this little animal now appears both on the list of protected species in Australia, and unwanted in New Zealand!

Small vegetarian with an inoffensive appearance, the possum benefits from the absence of predators to multiply and devours vegetation and even trees! Because the possum also transmits tuberculosis to the cattle, and destroys plantations, it is easy to understand why New Zealanders engaged a war without mercy against it.

The government is investing a hundred million dollars each year to try to exterminate this species with a combination of traps and poisons. The number of possums has already decreased from 70 to 30 million in less than 25 years! It is natural to feel sorry for this poor creature, but I invite you to read my article on the flora of New Zealand to measure the extent of the damages it causes.

Westerners have deforested half the country to create their pastures, but Maori also took their part in the devastation.

It is sufficient to mention the example of the moa to be convinced.

The moa was a gigantic bird with a height of 3 meters and similar to an ostrich. Unable to fly, it was an easy prey for the hunters until its extinction in the 16th century. Its skeleton is exposed in many museums of the country.

The New Zealanders are aware of their responsibilities towards their country. They now do their utmost to protect nature and endangered species. You too can help, mostly by keeping a reasonable distance from the animals you may come across during your stay.

Despite the many species victims of the pitiful human experimentations, New Zealand continues to possess a fauna of an extreme variety. I hope this quick overview will make you want to know more about the country!