New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) released 18 takahē back into the wild at Kahurangi National Park on Tuesday, March 20, around 100 years after the flightless bird disappeared from the area.

The birds were released as part of a recovery program that aimed to increase their population beyond Fiordland, in the country’s south. “This translocation marks the next step in takahē recovery,” DOC Takahē Operations Manager Deidre Vercoe said. “Currently, these taonga birds only have one large wild site to call home – the remote Murchison Mountains of Fiordland. Trying to establish another large wild population is a bold move and it might not work, but we must push the boundaries if we are to learn and make progress.”

A family of three birds was released on Tuesday near the Heaphy Track, a popular walking track, stuff.co.nz reported. Credit: New Zealand Department of Conservation via Storyful