Wellington Part 2

The next stop was at the marvelous Te Papa museum in Wellington.  Over six floors of exhibitions occupy the museum, varying from art, natural history, geology, culture, and military features.  Two hours permits just a small bite of this large apple, and it is magnificent.  Our driver was very proud of the museum and sorry we could see only a small portion. 

The natural history area again reminded us of the decline and loss of native wildlife with the advent of humans who brought other mammals with them which truly affected the unique ecosystem.  Skeletal extinct Moa were depicted over hung by the also now extinct  eagle which fed on them, emphasizing that the loss of one species is tied to so many more.

The Haast Eagle hunted only the nine Moa species, which was the dominant life form on these islands.  It went extinct in the 16th century, and the eagle as well.