Dent Island (New Zealand) facts for kids
Dent Island, New Zealand
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| Geography | |
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| Coordinates | 52°31.15′S 169°3.75′E / 52.51917°S 169.06250°E |
| Archipelago | Campbell Island group |
| Area | 26 ha (64 acres) |
| Highest elevation | 114 m (374 ft) |
| Administration | |
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New Zealand
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| Demographics | |
| Population | Uninhabited |
Dent Island is a small, rocky island that's part of the Campbell Island group in New Zealand. It's located about 3 kilometers (about 2 miles) west of Campbell Island. This tiny island is only about 26 hectares (64 acres) in size, which is like 26 football fields!
Dent Island is in the subantarctic region, south of the main continents and closer to Antarctica. Its name, "Dent," comes from the French word for "tooth." It was named by a French expedition in 1874 because the island looks a bit like a tooth sticking out of the ocean.
Birds of Dent Island
Dent Island is a very important place for birds. It's part of the Campbell Island group's Important Bird Area (IBA). This means it's recognized by BirdLife International as a key breeding spot for many types of seabirds. It's also home to two special birds found only in this area: the Campbell teal and the Campbell snipe.
The Amazing Campbell Teal
Dent Island is most famous for the Campbell teal, a small duck. For over 100 years, people thought this bird was extinct, meaning it had completely disappeared. But then, in 1975, a small group of Campbell teals was rediscovered living on Dent Island!
This island was a safe haven for the teals because it had no predators. On nearby Campbell Island, rats had been introduced by humans. These rats hunted the teals and caused them to disappear from Campbell Island.
However, even on Dent Island, the space suitable for the teals was limited. A large part of the island is bare rock, so there isn't much good habitat for them.
Saving the Campbell Teal
A special program to save the Campbell teal began in 1984. Four birds were moved from Dent Island to the Pukaha / Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre in New Zealand. This center helped breed more teals in a safe environment.
In 1997, a count on Dent Island showed that the teal population had become very small again, with only three birds found. This was a worrying sign.
But thanks to the conservation and breeding efforts, the program became very successful! In recent years, many Campbell teals have been moved back to Campbell Island itself. Rats were finally removed from Campbell Island in 2001, making it safe for the teals again. Now, there are over a hundred Campbell teals living on Campbell Island.
