Heavies fight off 'feathered terrorists'

Keas would likely be attracted to shiny objects

Hiring karate exponents to protect 140 vintage cars in Mt Cook from curious and thieving keas is laughable, says the Department of Conservation.

The cars are due at the alpine village tomorrow as part the centennial commemoration of the first visit to the area by a car.

Organisers have hired 40 members from the local karate club to protect the cars from keas, the Press reported.

Hermitage manager Denis Callesen said the "feathered terrorists", New Zealand's native mountain parrot, were very good at noticing anything unusual.

Cars with polished brass and open tops would be a tempting target.

Bird-lovers need not be alarmed, he said. Karate club members would not use any of their moves on the protected birds, simply scaring away any intent on mischief.

But DoC ranger Ray Bellringer said the karate exponents would be almost totally ineffective against attacks on the vehicles by keas.

"They will fly around and laugh," he said.

He said the keas would move from one end of the village to the other, easily eluding the car bodyguards.

"I think it's a huge joke."

Apart from relocating the birds, there was no way of stopping them, he said.

"They don't like being squirted with water pistols, so that's quite a good way to deter them - just momentarily."

He said the reason the parrots were attracted to shiny objects and would take anything not locked down was due to adaptation of the species.

"Because of the landscape they are in, over the centuries they have had to be scavengers, they have had to adapt. They've had to be curious to survive in the mountain landscape."

- NZPA