[link to www.unexplained-mysteries.com]

In more recent years, fewer reports have emerged. During the summer of 1976 a group of tourist driving down the desert road noticed a giant bird with a truly incredible wingspan gliding across the dessert landscape. This report is likely a hoax, as Haasts Eagle had a relatively small wingspan in comparison to itsbody size and the desert was not its ideal choice of habitat.

In the same area as Charles Douglas' encounter occured, two woman tramping were amazed at the appearence of a very large bird standing, wings tucked in, beisde a dead ram. The woman were terrified and nearly fainted when the bird opened its wings out to 3 metres and flew away. This sighting was reported in 1991.

Early this year my father told me about an associate in a mountainous regoin down in the south island who claimed to see two giant birds land in the snow. He said he thought I'd be interested.

In addition to the occasional sightings, Earl Jean, an ornithologist, supposedly came into possesion of an intact 3 metre wing of a bird shot down over Mount Aspiring in 1897. He decided it was that of the Haasts Eagle and began planning an expedition to find a living specimen, but died before the project was completed. I can find no information as to what became of the wing.

As an interesting final note, in the parts of the South Island where giant birds have been sighted there is an slightly higher than normal amount of livestock reported missing from farms...