The Long Shadow – How Introduced Species Changed the Fauna of Aotearoa by Cally Whitham

This stunning book had my attention before I even opened it. The stylish cover, featuring a profile portrait of a huia bird on a black background, hinted at the richness inside.

Photographer Cally Whitham’s fascination with animals started as a child when she was intrigued by a taxidermized kiwi in a glass case, which was passed down through the family.

She started taking photos of animals on her great-aunt’s farm, and as her career as a photographer progressed, she realised she was drawn to portraiture, so she continued to expand her collection of animal and bird photos. Her curiosity about how different species had come to live in New Zealand led her to examine many old texts and newspaper reports. She has paired these with the photos to provide an interesting history of the often-controversial decisions made to import new species here. Sometimes it was for sentimental reasons: the early settlers missed things from ‘home’. Other times, it was to counter an out-of-balance ecosystem. As we all know now, many of these decisions caused irreparable damage to the native species that resided here. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, as they say.

The early Pacific immigrants brought their native dog, the Kuri (now extinct). Captain Cook brought pigs with him to deposit in Queen Charlotte Sound on his second voyage to New Zealand in 1773 on the Resolution. There followed many other introductions, planned and unplanned. The early settlers formed an Acclimatisation Society with the object of introducing ‘beasts, birds and fishes’ to enrich their lives in their new land. It is fascinating that extinctions were being observed very early on, with the possum noted as a pest in 1891.

The female Huia bird, which graces the cover of the book, eventually became extinct. The popularity of the feathers worn as adornments didn’t help. As early as 1892, it was noted that there was a looming problem, yet nothing could be done.

The book is divided into sections which cover Exotic species (birds and mammals) and then Native and endemic species. This sobering chapter highlights what has been lost and what is under threat.

The portrait-style photos are all beautifully shot, akin to Lindauer and Goldie-style portraits of the late 1800s and early 1900s. They are worthy of their own exhibition. The accompanying text makes fascinating reading.

With a foreword by Nicola Toki of Forest & Bird, this beautiful book is a reminder of what has been lost and what is under threat.

This is a wonderful coffee table book that is guaranteed to be looked at by people of all ages. It will hopefully raise awareness of the need to protect the remaining native species that still exist.

Reviewer: Rachel White

Bateman