Tumanako, the albatross chick's new name, means hope, wish and desire. Photo / DoC
Tumanako, the albatross chick's new name, means hope, wish and desire. Photo / DoC
By Dane Ambler
An albatross chick which clung to life despite the odds and became an internet sensation has been officially named by the public.
The little sea bird was the subject of the Department of Conservation's "Name the chick" competition which ran from May 23 to June 2.
From 1672 entries the chick from the northern royal albatross colony at Pukekura/Taiaroa Head near Dunedin was named Tumanako.
The Maori word means hope, wish and desire. It was fitting for the chick, which had a rocky start to life, DoC's threatened species ambassador Nicola Toki said.
"In its short life, this chick has shown strength and defiance. It came close to death in its first few days, survived the tail end of a cyclone, has stuck stoically to its own personal hygiene standards and has kept our dedicated rangers firmly on their toes.
"Once fledged, the chick will face a tough and intrepid life out at sea for many years before returning to land to breed. Tumanako symbolises hope and desire for the bird's ongoing success and future safe return to our shores to start a family of its own."
Tumanako had touched people's lives across the globe, Toki said. Its progress was followed worldwide via DoC's "royal cam", a live video stream from the northern royal albatross colony. Since starting in January last year it had had 1.6 million views from people in 198 countries.
