In early July the Aongatete weka, now accustomed to the forest around them, will be allowed out of the aviary. In preparation for this a free weka-aversion training day for dogs was offered to walkers, locals and hunters. Dogs are fitted with a special collar which administers a brief shock when the dog goes to sniff a bird-scented lure – for our day the trainer Guus used a dead weka and also stuffed kiwi and whio. They quickly learn to avoid the bird scent. Dogs that took part in the training were then certified to go in forests where these threatened species are present. The response from dog owners, keen to support the project and help the weka, was very encouraging.
