Moa
Also known as: Giant Moa, Dinornis
A 12-foot flightless bird, officially extinct for 600 years, with enough backcountry sighting reports to keep the search alive.
1400s (Maori oral history); modern sightings from 1800s
South Island, New Zealand
Up to 12 ft tall (Dinornis robustus)
Herbivorous, non-aggressive
Officially extinct (c. 1400 AD)
The Lore
The Moa were a group of giant flightless birds endemic to New Zealand, the largest species standing over 12 feet tall. They were hunted to extinction by Maori settlers around 1400 AD. But sighting reports have continued for centuries. In 1993, a photograph allegedly showing a living moa in Fiordland circulated widely. The dense, largely unexplored rainforests of South Island's west coast contain millions of acres of untouched habitat. Feathers, footprints, and droppings have been submitted to researchers, though none have been confirmed as recent. If any large animal could survive undetected in New Zealand's backcountry, the moa is the most plausible candidate.
Notable Witnesses
- Paddy Freaney (1993 alleged photo)
- Alice McKenzie (1880s sighting)
Media Appearances
- MonsterQuest (TV)
- The Moa Hunter (book by Roger Duff)
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