The Prince of Nosey-Parkers

A haka of curiosity and triumph...

– Legendary climber John Pascoe recalls a description of the kea's call

If they do kill sheep it’s very few, seems to me that most of the tales that are told are gross exaggerations … the reward of a pound a beak certainly gave good reason for exaggerating these stories.

– Kea expert Dick Jackson

If they were composers they would compose electronic music in the modern idiom.

– Climber John Pascoe

The trouble with New Zealanders is they take things too seriously. They don’t really deserve a bird like the kea. There’s a fine sense off surrealistic comedy about the way keas behave. It reminds me of the Laurel and Hardy situation, silent movies, that sort of thing.

– Late academic and mountaineer Les Cleveland

Some years ago a cheeky kea was caught by some deer control staff. The senior man, clad in the briefest of shorts, well saddled with holes, was holding the bird in his lap. Quick as a flash, the bird seized an, ah … most important and sensitive portion of his anatomy visible through the torn shorts and he held on…

– Tramper Tony Nolan