The huia was native to the North Island in New Zealand. Because of the sexual dimorphism males and females could live in the same areas, but utilize different food sources. When the Maori people arrived in New Zealand between 1280 AD - 1320 AD, they had a massive impact on the wildlife of the two islands. The huia was not a good food source according to many Maori accounts, but it did have sacred significance to the Maori and was a status symbol for the chiefs. The orange wattles and the entire huia pelts were often displayed in headdresses and clothing of Maori elites. The huia were easily captured and even kept as pets. Sometimes feathers would be harvested without killing the bird itself. The Maori also had a hunting ban called a rāhui, that forbade hunting them in spring and summer. There are reports that huia were capable of imitating human speech as well. It was reported that a huia would often die soon after the death of a mate. Although no one knows the exact cause of the huia’s extinction, habitat change and increased hunting pressure after Europeans arrived played a role. Because the huia did spend a lot of time on the ground, it was easy prey for invasive rats, cats, and weasels brought to the island. Some scientists also theorize that a disease brought to New Zealand by common myna birds might have been a factor. By 1907, the huia was extinct. The Rallicola extinctus louse was a parasite only found on the huia, and it is believed that the louse went extinct with its host. The extinction of a unique feather mite, Coraciacarus muellermotzfeldi, that was found on a museum specimen in 2008, showed a third extinction in 1907. Although Jurassic Park is fiction, scientists are working on several de-extinction projects. In fact, in 2003 scientists did bring back the extinct Pyrenean ibex, a type of wild goat, for 7 minutes before it died, showing de-extinction is possible. The huia might make a good candidate since many skins and specimens have been preserved in museums and collections. The good news is that New Zealand has been making great progress in protecting its native wildlife. In 1953, New Zealand established the Wildlife Act, which protected animals from illegal hunting by enacting a $100,000 fine. In 1977, it established the Reserves Act which formed the Department of Conservation. In 1980, the National Parks Act was established to set aside land for government protection. The Conservation Act of 1987, gave even greater protections to native wildlife and their population management. New Zealand was an island dominated by birds, the moas being the largest and most well known. Today’s conservation efforts have helped many critically endangered bird species survive extinction. The kiwi is the most well known example, but the saddleback, brown teal, North Island kōkako, and the black robin (which are all descendents of a single female) have been rebounding with these recent conservation efforts. If the huia was brought to life, could it ever be reintroduced to its native homeland in New Zealand?