Peek into a subterranean nest. Rakiura, a 23-year-old kākāpō bird, has laid three eggs inside. 

People sneak the eggs out. They replace them with fakes. To make sure the chicks survive, people care for the real eggs indoors. They return the first egg just in time for hatching. Then, crack! peck! peck! A kākāpō chick emerges.

Some people call kākāpō birds “doomed by design.” And it’s not hard to see why. The heavy kākāpō can’t fly. It moves slowly. Also, it’s delicious. No wonder predators gobble it up!

But God didn’t design any creatures for doom. Each one has its own place and purpose in the world—kākāpō included. For years, people feared the species would disappear. Just 30 years ago, only 50 kākāpō remained in the wild. Now New Zealand has more than 200.

And this year is a very good year for kākāpō. New Zealand saw a bumper crop of the strange parrot’s favorite berries. When a species has plenty of food, it often responds by having plenty of babies. Kākāpō have breeding seasons only every two to four years. Conservationists hope for a record number of kākāpō chicks this year. 

Kākāpō live on three tiny, remote islands off New Zealand’s southern coast. Very few people get a chance to spot them in the wild. But this breeding season, the Department of Conservation livestreamed Rakiura’s nest. The kākāpō became internet-famous. 

New Zealanders work hard to save the kākāpō. Each bird has a name. Each wears a small backpack tracker. Otherwise, the birds could vanish into the forest without a trace.

Why? All God’s creatures have a proper place and a good purpose in His creation.