Sirocco is a kakapo, a large, flightless, nocturnal parrot, and one of the remaining kakapo in the world. He achieved individual fame following an incident on the BBC television series Last Chance to See in which he attempted to mate with zoologist Mark Carwardine. Subsequent featuring of the incident on television channels around the world and on YouTube resulted in Sirocco becoming internationally known. In his home country of New Zealand, Sirocco has attracted thousands of people during 'personal' appearances, and in January 2010 was given the title of Official Spokesbird for Conservation by Prime Minister John Key. In this role, Sirocco helps advocate for conservation through human intermediaries on social media sites and blogs.
Biography
Sirocco was hatched on 23 March 1997 on Codfish Island off the west coast of Stewart Island, south of the New Zealand mainland. At three weeks old he suffered a respiratory illness which led to him being taken away from his mother, Zephyr, and hand-raised by Department of Conservation rangers. He had to be raised away from other kakapo, and this led to him being imprinted on humans. As an older bird, he still does not associate with other kakapo. This extends to the mating ritual of 'booming': Sirocco booms in the presence of humans, rather than female kakapo. Sirocco is therefore seen as unlikely to be successful when it comes to breeding. However, his affinity to human beings means he has become an effective advocate for the kakapo species. As Codfish Island, a protected sanctuary, is closed to the public, this has involved Sirocco travelling away from his home. Since 2006 he has regularly appeared on Ulva Island as part of a 'kakapo encounter'; then in September 2009 he travelled to Auckland Zoo where he was visited by thousands of people. Sirocco appeared at Zealandia wildlife sanctuary in October 2011 and at Maungatautari Ecological Island in 2012. In 2015, he visited Zealandia again for another six week residence. Sirocco's radio transmitter went offline in late 2016 or early 2017. For months the team of scientists tasked with routine health checks conducted periodic searches for him using trained English Setters. They issued a public statement that Sirocco's whereabouts were unknown on 23 March 2017, his 20th hatchday. On 8 February 2018, a release from the Department of Conservation announced that Sirocco had been found and fitted with a new transmitter. Sirocco's preference for head-mating and resistance to massage techniques has made it difficult to collect his semen. Scientists who work with him designed an "ejaculation helmet" for volunteers to wear while he attempted to mate with their heads. The dimpled, rubber headgear was ineffective due to the duration of the kakapo's mating period and was later donated to the Te Papa museum in Wellington.
''Last Chance to See'' incident
In 2009, zoologist Mark Carwardine and television presenterStephen Fry visited Codfish Island as part of a series for the Last Chance to See, focusing on endangered species around the world. While they were filming Sirocco, the bird hopped onto Carwardine's head and attempted to mate with him. The scene itself and Fry's commentary, "Sorry, but this is one of the funniest things I've ever seen. You are being shagged by a rare parrot", proved an instant television hit, being featured on news items around the world. A video of the incident was uploaded to YouTube, where it received more than 700,000 views in the first week. A year on, more than 2 million people had viewed the clip, and as of 2020 the clip has been viewed over 16.1 million times. Sirocco's Facebook page and Twitter account, set up after the screening, instantly attracted thousands of followers.
Other media appearances
Indian wildlife filmmaker Ashwika Kapur's short "rags-to-riches" documentary Sirocco – How a Dud Became a Stud is based on his life and won the Wildscreen Panda Award in 2014.
Spokesbird
Sirocco's fame, and awareness that the television incident had massively raised the profile of kakapo around the world, led to an unusual government appointment for the bird in January 2010. New Zealand Prime Minister John Key appointed Sirocco as Official Spokesbird for Conservation, to coincide with 2010 being the International Year of Biodiversity. Key commented "He's a very media savvy bird, he's got a worldwide fan base – they hang on every squawk that comes out of his beak. He'll be a great official spokesbird and a great ambassador for New Zealand." While tongue-in-cheek, the appointment showed awareness of the ability of Sirocco, through his television and social network presence, to attract and engage with people around the world, thus highlighting the plight of the still-endangered kakapo.
