Moa hunters: The scene can be dated around 1300 AD. Moa-species depicted here are Emeus crassus on the left and Anomalopteryx didiformis on the right. There were 9 species of moa on New Zealand. Only 100 years after the arrival of the first humans, which happened at the end of the 13th century, no moas are found in the rubbish pits of their settlements anymore. One of many examples how fast populations of flightless birds endemic to islands collapse after the colonization by humans.
The traditional dog breed of the Maori called Kurī is also extinct, but other than moas they were still seen by the first european settlers in New Zealand. There are still museum specimens of them.
Acrylic and oil paint on panel, 2020
50 x 40 cm