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That's the focus of a recent research paper that looked at how commercialising native species might help with conservation.

The species was eliminated from the island, and the closest known population is a 20-mile swim away - far greater than it can travel, experts said.

"The reality is, a huge number of our species are on the fast track to extinction. We've already lost 50 species of birds since humans arrived in New Zealand, and each year up to 25 million native ...

The endangered kakapo is a flightless bird native to New Zealand. Its population is growing, but its parasites have dwindled.