As we all know when the first explorers from the United States of America discovered the New Caroline Islands* and Antipodia**, they where fasinated with the fact that the Caroline Natives* had domesticated the Elephant Birds*** and Haast's Eagles (named of course after the first White Man to ride one)**** But when they introduced them to Antipodia**, Hawaii, and North America, the two bird species ran amok. Say what you will about the economic and military impact of "mounted flight" that the Haast provided before the invention of planes and airships, or how much food an Elephant bird egg produces, the environmental impact, of the Haast especially, with it's taste for megafuana, was immense. What if they had had more forsight and didn't introduce them into new environments that weren't ready?
*In TTL Australia and New Zealand where discovered and settled by Americans instead of British. "New Caroline Islands" are so called because the North Island is called "New North Carolina" and the south island is called "New South Carolina".
** Antipodia=Australia. Also settled by the US.
***Elephant birds, or Moa native to New Zealand, extinct in OTL
****Haast's eagle, both here and in OTL a name of European origin. In OTL named after the man who discovered their bones, in TTL named after a salior on the first american ship in New Zealand.
*In TTL Australia and New Zealand where discovered and settled by Americans instead of British. "New Caroline Islands" are so called because the North Island is called "New North Carolina" and the south island is called "New South Carolina".
** Antipodia=Australia. Also settled by the US.
***Elephant birds, or Moa native to New Zealand, extinct in OTL
****Haast's eagle, both here and in OTL a name of European origin. In OTL named after the man who discovered their bones, in TTL named after a salior on the first american ship in New Zealand.