Kea Parrot in Newzealand

The Kea has been part of local lore since the mid-1860s when sheep farmers began inhabiting the area. Stories of farmers finding sheep with wounds on their sides began to emerge. Some told of seeing keas on sheeps’ backs and attacking them. Whether or not Keas were actually attacking sheep was up for debate, that is, until 1992. That’s when Keas’ nocturnal assaults were captured on video. Scientists believe that, some but not all, Kea parrots use their long, curved beaks and claws to tear through the wool and eat fat from a sheep’s back. The kea might be inclined to seek sources of fat to help them survive their cold climate. The bird doesn’t kill the sheep but there is the possibility that the sheep could succumb infection as a result of its injury.