Amber-Leigh Woolf 16:09, Sep 10 2019
Wellington Chocolate Factory co-founder
Gabe Davidson talks about making Save the Manumea chocolate.
Kiwis are being called on to help save
the national bird of Samoa from extinction - there's fewer than 200
left.
The elusive Manumea is rarely sighted
in Samoan forests due to hunting, deforestation and predators, and leaders
are calling for a hunting ban to save them.
Samoa's High Commissioner to New
Zealand, Leasi Papali'i Tommy Scanlan, said the people of Samoa loved the
Manumea like New Zealanders love the kiwi.
In the 1990s, there were about 7000
Manumea - now there's fewer than 150.
"If it becomes extinct it will be
a very sad day for us."
In July, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern launched
a Save the Manumea campaign in Apia with the Deputy Prime Minister of
Samoa Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, and the Wellington Chocolate Factory
is producing a unique chocolate bar fundraiser for the conservation
effort.
The Wellington Chocolate Factory was
donated cacao from the Savai'i Koko plantation to make 700 limited edition Save
the Manumea bars.
The Save the Manumea campaign calls for a
ban on hunting birds as Manumea are being accidentally shot by
people hunting the Lupe, the Pacific Pigeon.
Pigeon snaring was once a distinguished
sport among Samoa's high chiefs, but Papali'i said tradition hads to
change to save the Manumea.
"When they go hunting in the heavy
forest and see the big bird, they can't distinguish between the pigeon and
the Manumea, and they'll shoot."
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