Hoppy

This little Banded Rail lives at the Glenfern Sanctuary in Port Fitroy, Great Barrier Island. The staff there rescued him as a very small chick with his sister when his mother was killed on the roads. His sister left to be self-sufficient, as is usual with banded rails. This little fella decided to stay on. He is very interested in people, and not at all keen on the other banded rails. He's known as Hoppy, because unlike other rails he has not worked out how to fly. In this photo he is approximately 3 months old, but already a bit larger than the other rails living at the sanctuary.

The Glenfern Sanctuary is an area that is separated from the rest of Great Barrier Island by a pest proof fence. Thanks to the ideas put in place by Tony Bouzaid, it is being reverted to native bush and with only native wildlife. The staff and volunteers do an amazing job, looking after the place and educating visitors. Both guided and self-guided tours are available along the Glenfern Walk, through native bush and to the top of an old Kauri tree.