Manukura the white kiwi, failed to find love with Turua, who has been released back into the wild. Photo / File
Turua and Manukura just weren't meant to be.
The two kiwi, who have resided together at Pukaha Mount Bruce near Masterton since 2012, have parted ways after an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to have them breed together.
Turua was released into the wild on Sunday.
His aviary mate, Manukura, is well-known as she is a rare white kiwi, making her a popular attraction for visitors.
The pair had an arranged marriage that didn't work, lead kiwi ranger at Mount Bruce, Jess Flamy, says.
"Once the pair were introduced in the nocturnal house aviary, it is fair to say that Manukura was much more interested in Turua than he was in her," she said.
"Turua remained what appeared to be happy and healthy, so the Pukaha rangers waited for him to come around to Manukura's advances."
However, although Turua did show some inclinations, no mating took place and late last year he started to appear stressed and began losing weight.
Once removed from Manukura, Turura started to thrive, so the decision was made to keep him away from her and he was released back into the Pukaha forest.
"No matter how many kiwi you release back into the wild, you still feel like a parent sending your kids off into the big, wild world," Flamy said.
"I will be watching his progress with pride."
All is not lost for Manukura, either, who has a potential new mate called Frickleton.
-AAP
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