A new milestone has been reached at The National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa; the 1800th kiwi chick has hatched, and it occurred during "Save Kiwi Month".
The hatchery, previously known as Kiwi Encounter, has been renamed and is undergoing a major upgrade of its facilities and experience.
Based at Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua, the hatchery will reopen to the public on November 12 with a new tour, complemented by an interactive kiwi experience at Rainbow Springs where visitors can see and learn about kiwi.
"We usually hatch about 130 kiwi eggs each year and we expect to be able to hatch more with the new brooder room provided by Kiwis for kiwi," kiwi husbandry manager Emma Bean said.
The 1800th chick, from Maungataniwha, hatched on October 6.