 The kakapo is critically endangered ; as of March 2014 , with an additional six from the first <unk> since 2011 , the total known population was only 123 living individuals , as reported by the Kakapo Recovery programme , most of which have been given names . Because of Polynesian and European colonisation and the introduction of predators such as cats , rats , ferrets , and stoats , the kakapo was almost wiped out . Conservation efforts began in the 1890s , but they were not very successful until the implementation of the Kakapo Recovery plan in the 1980s . As of April 2012 , surviving kakapo are kept on three predator @-@ free islands , Codfish ( <unk> <unk> ) , Anchor and Little Barrier islands , where they are closely monitored . Two large Fiordland islands , Resolution and Secretary , have been the subject of large @-@ scale ecological restoration activities to prepare self @-@ sustaining ecosystems with suitable habitat for the kakapo . The New Zealand government is willingly providing the use of these islands to kakapo conservation . A successful breeding season in 2016 saw 34 chicks fledge , taking the total population to 157 . 
