Rehoming pigeon: kererū returns to hatchery 24 years after flying the coop

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‘Pidge’ disappeared from Rainbow Springs in New Zealand in 1996 and was not seen again before his return in August

He might not have had the best homing instincts. But a New Zealand native pigeon – or kererū – named Pidge made it back, eventually, to the place of his hatching after 24 years missing in the wild.

Pidge, who was hand-reared at Rainbow Springs – a wildlife and nature park in Rotorua, on New Zealand’s North Island – disappeared in 1996 and was not seen again before his return in August. That would make the bird, identified by a numbered band on his leg, 29 years old; most references list kererū lifespans as between 15 and 25 years.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3mWGCnk

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