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Once thought to be functionally extinct, the kākāpō — New Zealand’s iconic, flightless parrot — may be heading for its largest breeding season on record. Image Credit

Conservationists expect all 84 breeding females in the population to lay eggs this season, a remarkable milestone for a species that numbered just 51 individuals in 1995. Today, the population stands at around 273 birds, the result of decades of intensive conservation work.

The surge in breeding activity is linked to an unusually large crop of rimu fruit, a critical food source that triggers kākāpō reproduction. When food is abundant, the birds are far more likely to mate and lay eggs. What’s particularly intriguing is that the fruit will not be fully ripe until after chicks hatch - yet the birds appear to “predict” the coming abundance and begin breeding in advance.

That said, success is far from guaranteed. Eggs must still hatch, chicks must survive, and juveniles must reach independence - a process that will not be fully assessed until late 2026. The species’ slow breeding cycle and long lifespan mean recovery is measured in decades, not years.

There are also lingering concerns about genetic diversity. The severe population bottleneck has led to fertility issues and increased vulnerability to disease, challenges conservationists continue to manage as best they can.

Still, the outlook is hopeful. If even a portion of this breeding season succeeds, it could mark another significant step away from extinction for one of the world’s rarest parrots - and a powerful reminder of what long-term conservation efforts can achieve.

Will these turtle hatchlings reach the sea without being captured by predators, and will they withstand the power of the waves once they get there?

On the beaches of Africa, a clutch of tiny turtle hatchlings emerges from the sand, driven by instinct alone. The journey before them is short in distance, but immense in danger. Every movement draws attention, and every second increases the odds stacked against them.  Although this video from the BBC does not explicitly state this, I have an idea that these are hatchlings of the Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea).

To say that they have the odds stacked against them is something of an understatement. Above, yellow-billed kites circle patiently, their sharp eyes trained on the shifting sand. Nearby, crows watch from a distance, intelligent and opportunistic, waiting for the moment to strike. At ground level, ghost crabs scuttle across the beach, perfectly adapted ambush predators ready to seize any hatchling that strays too close. Together, these hunters form a gauntlet that few will pass unscathed.

Of course, there is always one hatchling that emerges last. Smaller, slower, just a heartbeat behind the others. Naturally, our attention fixes on this one. We root for it, silently urging it forward, as if encouragement alone might tilt the balance in its favour. But what are the odds?

Even reaching the shoreline is not the end of the trial. The surf itself is a formidable barrier, its waves capable of dragging a fragile body back onto the sand or tumbling it helplessly in the shallows. And beyond the breaking waves, the danger does not disappear. A moment’s hesitation can be fatal, as a shadow passes overhead and a pair of sharp talons plunges down from the sky.

This is nature at its most uncompromising. No quarter is given, no second chances offered. Yet enough hatchlings survive to keep the species alive, just as they have for millions of years. Each successful dash to the sea is a small victory, not just for the turtle, but for life’s stubborn persistence against overwhelming odds.

Narrated in the measured, reverent tones we associate with Sir David Attenborough, this scene reminds us that survival in the natural world is never guaranteed — it is earned, moment by perilous moment.

Watch the video below: