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New Zealand’s living Fossil!

Freda Savahl
4 min readJan 1, 2025

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The Takahē-A Quaint bird.

My Quest:

I am passionate about uncovering the stories of nature’s unusual and near-extinct animals. I aim to inspire appreciation for the beauty of wildlife. Each discovery fuels my commitment to protecting our planet’s incredible diversity. Together, we can celebrate and safeguard these extraordinary creatures for generations to come.

The South Island takahē:

Once believed to have been lost to the world on two separate occasions, this bird's remarkable journey of survival and rediscovery is a powerful reminder of nature’s extraordinary resilience and our potential for hope in the face of adversity.

It holds the title of the world’s largest living ground-dwelling bird that falls into the small-to-medium size category.

With its striking appearance — short, sturdy wings, large feet designed for traversing rugged terrain, and long, agile toes — it certainly captures attention.

This remarkable, flightless swamphen is an indigenous marvel of New Zealand. It represents not just a species but a significant part of the region’s natural history.

The takahē shares its name with its recently extinct relative, the North Island takahē, creating a fascinating…

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Freda Savahl
Freda Savahl

Written by Freda Savahl

Retired Nurse Practitioner WHC /Contract Provider Deployment Military Services. US Citizen. Immigrant from South Africa 1978.

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