The world's rarest parrot has enjoyed a bumper breeding season in New Zealand, raising hopes it can eventually be reintroduced to its native Fiordland, conservationists said Friday. The kakapo, a plump green parrot that nests on the ground, was once thought extinct but its numbers have slowly increased to 125 birds thanks to an intensive conservation programme dating back decades. The hard work paid off spectacularly this year as 36 chicks hatched and survived during breeding season, well up on the previous record of 22 in 2009.
