Friends and conservationists have been paying tribute to 72-year-old Dr Merton, describing his achievements as extraordinary, world-leading and inspirational.
He has previously credited a childhood fascination with his grandmother's canary as the spur behind a career in saving some of the country's most endangered birds.
His idea to move eggs from the nests of Chatham Island black robins to tomtit nests saw the species recover from a point at which there was only one breeding pair left in the 1980s. Later, his determination to save the kakapo meant the last remaining birds from Fiordland were moved to a predator-free island.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Don Merton terminally ill
I was very sad to learn this week that acclaimed conservationist Don Merton is very ill with pancreatic cancer and is being cared for at his home by wife Margaret. The Dominion Post has the story. My prayers are with him and his family at this difficult time.
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2 comments:
Thanks for posting this. It is sad to watch all the characters and some of the subjects from "Last Chance to See" passing avay. Don Merton did amazing work, and can take pride in a life well-lived.
He passed away today (April 10th).
Appropriately enough, I got the news via @Spokesbird, the Twitter voice of Sirocco Kakapo who likely would never have been hatched were it not for Don's efforts (amongst others).
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