Kiwi safe after fires

All kiwi have been accounted for after five fires were lit near a West Coast sanctuary at the weekend.

The Department of Conservation said staff had tracked tags yesterday to ensure none of the rare species, known as rowi, were killed when about 20ha of land near their nesting areas at the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary, north of Franz Josef, was torched.

Only about 350 rowi remain.