A COUPLE who founded a South Lakeland wildlife attraction 25 years ago have just returned home from a trip helping the indigenous birds of New Zealand.

Jo and Dave Marsden, who run the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis, at Hale, near Milnthorpe, spent a month at the Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre, a captive breeding centre for native birds.

"All in all it was a very rewarding experience," said Mrs Marsden. "New Zealanders have woken up to the fact that they have truly unique wildlife, wildlife that is in danger of disappearing permanently - and many of them are determined not to let that happen."

During their volunteering stint, the Marsdens helped out by giving talks about the birds to visitors, making sure the parrots remained occupied in their enclosures with brainteasers and taking out food to the Kiwi birds at dusk.

Mrs Marsden said: "Our experience of caring for captive creatures was directly transferable."

As New Zealand originally had no land animals, birds evolved to fill the role of mammals.

This changed with the arrival of European settlers, who deliberately introduced their familiar animals, along with the accidentally-introduced rats and mice.

The native birds had no defences and were devastated.

Introduced Australian possums have been particularly destructive, not only eating eggs and nestlings but even killing essential fruit and nectar-producing trees.

At purpose-created 'mainland islands' such as Mount Bruce, predators are rigorously controlled and many birds have been reintroduced.

Mrs Marsden said: "It was very encouraging working with such motivated people who have demonstrably put the clock back to how things were - in some respects - in admittedly small areas, but showing where there is a will, a way can be found."

One of the birds the couple got up close and personal with during their time at the centre was Kahurangi, the only captive k?kako in the world.

Kahurangi, who was hand-reared by a bearded man at Hamilton Zoo, thinks herself as human and became imprinted on Mr Marsden.

"Dave had only to appear and there she was, as close as she could get, flirting shamelessly with him and guaranteeing the visitors a super view of a unique bird right at the front of her well planted aviary while we explained about her and her species," said Mrs Marsden. "She was friendly with me, but she absolutely loved Dave."