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New Zealand
This beautiful island country, not far from Australia in the South Pacific, is composed of two land masses- the North Island and the South Island. Together they are about the size of the state of Colorado. Because of its remoteness, New Zealand was one of the last places on earth settled by humans. Polynesians settled New Zealand around 1300, but Europeans, which now form the vast majority of the population, arrived in 1640. During its long isolation New Zealand developed is own distinctive fauna, mainly birds, many of which became extinct after the arrival of humans. The striking beauty of New Zealand’s mountains is unmatched in the South Pacific. These magnificent mountains were featured in the award-winning film trilogy Lord of the Rings.
There are no native game species in New Zealand, but the European settlers brought with them several favorite game species, such as red deer, fallow deer and Alpine chamois. In the succeeding centuries these introduced species have successfully spread out over both islands and are firmly established themselves. In New Zealand mountain game such as Alpine chamois and Himalayan tahr may be hunted under conditions similar to those in their native habitats in Europe and Asia.
New Zealand is today famous for its huge red stags – the product of generations of careful selective breeding on game ranches, which specialize in this species. New Zealand is also a major producer of venison for restaurants around the world. In recent decades many other popular game species have been introduced, specifically for hunting.
Species List:
- European Red Deer
- European Fallow Deer
- Japanese Sika Deer
- American Wapiti
- Javan Rusa Deer
- Sambar
- Feral Boar
- Feral Goat
- Arapawa Sheep
- American Whitetail Deer
- Alpine Chamois
- Himalayan Tahr