By 1News Reporters
12:14pm

A takahe and a tuatara have been filmed seemingly engaging in a bush-floor stoush on Auckland's Tiritiri Matangi Island.

The video - captured by quick-thinking Department of Conservation ranger Nick Fisentzidis - showed a takahe appearing to attack a tuatara.

"I saw them having a bit of a nip at each other; the takahe definitely had a
go at the tail of the tuatara, and they had a bit of a scrap," he said.

"I followed them down the hill, and the tuatara got a couple of bites in, so the takahe backed off and snuck back away up the forest."

Although historically both takahe and tuatara were widespread across New Zealand, they now only co-exist in two locations, Tiritiri Matangi in the Hauraki Gulf and Zealandia in Wellington.

"It's a neat snapshot of how these interactions may have gone in the past. It also shows what's possible in the future if we really start to rally together to bring more of our native wildlife back," Fisentzidis said.

Department of Conservation takahe recovery senior ranger Glen Greaves said
the birds were often thought to be herbivorous (vegetarian), but in reality they are omnivorous.

"This means they'll eat almost anything. Although primarily grass feeders,
they will often supplement their diet with insects, lizards, and have even
been spotted taking ducklings. Protein is obviously an important part of
their diet.

"Like their cousins the pukeko and weka, takahe can be quite predatory. Although taking on a tuatara hasn't been seen before that I'm aware of, it is not at all surprising. Just a bit bigger than their usual snack. It's good to see the tuatara stand up for itself," he said.

Tuatara are the last survivors of an order of reptiles known as sphenodontia, that thrived in the age of the dinosaurs, 200 million years ago, but now only survive in places where invasive mammalian predators have been eradicated.

The endemic, flightless takahe are the world's largest living rail are a
taonga species to Ngai Tahu.

Historically thought to be extinct twice, there are now just over 500 throughout the country, with around half living at sanctuary sites and half
in the wild.

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