Kakapo given NZ Government job

The Telegraph: Parrot that tried to mate with Mark Carwardine is given a government role.

The New Zealand prime minster has given the country’s most famous parrot a job in his government, it has emerged.  An endangered kakapo parrot, named Sirocco, which rose to fame last year after it attempted to mate with the head of Mark Carwardine, the wildlife presenter, during the BBC’s 'Last Chance to See' series, has been appointed by John Key as the world’s first "spokesbird for conservation".  Footage of the incident attracted more than half a million hits on the video-sharing website, YouTube.

Mr Key claimed that the notorious and rare bird will be the ideal ambassador for conservation.

The incident they're referring to is immortalised on YouTube as Shagged by a rare parrot.  The kakapo is a chubby green flightless nocturnal parrot that is horribly endangered.  In 1993 there were only 51 known kakapo, now they're up to 124, with 33 chicks transferred to sanctuary islands in southern New Zealand to hopefully boost the species further.