Before humans arrived in New Zealand, there were no land mammals (other than the bat). This meant no foxes, dogs, cats, rats, stoats, weasels, possums or in fact any predators, which made the country a paradise for birds. It was so safe here, that some of them (like the kiwi) lost the ability to fly. Then man came (from nearby Polynesian islands) bringing with them a host of bird-munching pets, which found their way into the wild. Enjoying the easy pickings of flightless birds, these predators exploded in population, and wiped out 50% of native bird species within a few years. Stewart Island is located south of the South Island, and is sometimes thought of as New Zealand's third island. It is more than 90% National Park, and it only has one town, Oban. Here they
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