NOUMÉA, New Caledonia (April 1, 2000 - Oceania Flash/SPC)---New Caledonia authorities announced the opening Sunday of the hunting season for the wild, fruit-eating pigeon. Locally, it is known as "notu."
The season will last only for the four weekends in April, the daily newspaper Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes reports, with each hunter allowed only five birds per day.
New Caledonia's notu (scientifically named "Ducula goliath"), which dwells in the main island's mountainous interior, is the largest pigeon species in the Pacific French territory.
It can reach 50 to 52 centimeters (about 20 inches) high and weigh up to 850 grams (about 1.9 pounds).
Both notus and bats feed exclusively on fruits (typically papayas and mangoes).
Last year, it was estimated that 1.5 notu would have been taken by the average hunter.
The hunt is also on for bats ("flying foxes"). The season is longer, from April 1 to June 30.
The limit is ten bats per day per...