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4 unusual facts about Haast's Eagle


Clutha River

The upper reaches of the river once abounded in flightless Moa, predated upon by the Haast's Eagle.

Haast's Eagle

The Haast's eagle has appeared in several documentaries pertaining to New Zealand, but was most heavily featured in Monsters We Met, where it was live-acted by a Harpy Eagle and interpreted as hunting humans in addition to moas due to the humans vaguely resembling its natural prey.

Artwork depicting Haast's Eagle now may be viewed at OceanaGold's Heritage & Art Park at Macraes, Otago, New Zealand.

Julius von Haast

He was the first person to study the bones of the extinct Haast's Eagle.


Bill Haast

Soon after opening the Serpentarium Haast began experimenting with building up an acquired immunity to the venom of King, Indian and Cape cobras by injecting himself with gradually increasing quantities of venom he had extracted from his snakes, a practice called mithridatism.

Booted Eagle

Along with the Little Eagle this bird is one of the closest living relatives of the extinct Haast's Eagle of New Zealand.

Franco Andrea Bonelli

In the same year, he discovered Bonelli's Eagle (Hieraaetus fasciatus) that was likewise named by Vieillot in 1822.

Haast-Hollyford road

A visit to the area in 1989 by conservationist Dr David Bellamy.

Hollyford Valley

In 2010, plans resurfaced to construct a road from this turnoff towards Haast, following first the river and then travelling along the rugged coastline.

Jackson Bay

The bay marks the farthest extent of the West Coast's road network: the small road which meanders along the coast from Haast, 32 kilometres to the northeast, terminates at the sleepy fishing village of Jackson Bay, close to Jackson Head.

Lake Paringa

Lake Paringa is a small lake 30 kilometres north of Haast on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.

Mount Kedros

Kedros grows endemic or rare flowers such as tulips, anemones, corn marigolds, turban buttercups, tassel hyacinths, orchids, etc., and provides ideal conditions for the nesting of falcons as well as larger birds of prey such as griffon vultures, golden eagles and Bonelli's eagles.

Okuru River

It flows northwest for 45 kilometres from its headwaters in the Southern Alps to the west of the Haast Pass to the Tasman Sea at the northern end of Jackson Bay, 12 kilometres south of Haast.


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