ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə ðə ɹᵻpˈoːɹt ʌv mˈeɪdʒɚ dˈʌbəljˌuː. dʒˈiː. mˈɛɹ ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti θɹˈiː, ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti, ɐ mˈaʊɹi tʃˈiːf sˈɛd ðæt hiː hæd kˈɪld ɐ kˈɔːkɐwˌoʊ hiː fˈaʊnd ˌʌndɚ ðə bˈɑːɹk əvə dˈɛd ɹˈɑːɾə tɹˈiː ɪnðə weɪmˈɑːnə vˈæli ɪn tˈiː jˈʊɹwɚɹə ɔnðə nˈɔːɹθ ˈaɪlənd ʌv nˈuː zˈiːlənd.
According to the report of Major W. G. Mair in 1873, in 1870, a Māori chief said that he had killed a kawekaweau he found under the bark of a dead rata tree in the Waimana Valley in Te Urewera on the North Island of New Zealand.