Released kiwi get new lease on life

Native Fauna Keeper at Orana Wildlife Park Leigh Percasky holds Spot before the kiwi's release this month. Photo / Supplied

Spot and Nui, two young brown kiwi were released into the wild this month as part of a programme to conserve populations of New Zealand's native bird.

The nine year old male called Spot and ten year old female called Nui were bred at Orana Wildlife Park as part of the captive component of the Kiwi Recovery Programme, which will release nine kiwi in total this year.

The birds flew from the park in Christchurch to Tongariro Forest near Palmerston North to be released by Department of Conservation staff. Tongariro is one of five kiwi sanctuaries in New Zealand.

"This is one of the best parts of our job, seeing birds we have raised being released to the wild; it is very gratifying," said Head Keeper of Native Fauna Alyssa Salton.

"Spot and Nui have been fantastic kiwi to monitor. It is a real privilege to directly contribute to the preservation of our national icon."

Three more kiwi from Orana will be released to the wild later this year. Once the transfers are complete, three young breeding pairs of Brown kiwi will remain at the Park with two juvenile birds in the Nocturnal Display House who will pair up in future when they mature.

The Park welcomed its first kiwi chick of the season on September 17th, and another egg is due to hatch in the incubator shortly.

"We are delighted with the progress of our pairs so far this season," said Salton.

Orana Wildlife Park is also involved in the captive component of the Recovery Programme for kiwi. Chicks produced there may be transferred to other captive institutions, remain at Orana or be released to the wild like Spot and Nui, depending on the requirements of the programme.

Salton says a key role of the park's role is conservation advocacy and educating visitors on the plight of these unique birds.

"The main message we convey to people is to keep their dogs on a leash when near wild kiwi areas," she said.

Over 1000 kiwis have been released to the wild under similar programs like Operation Nest Egg, which takes eggs and chicks from the wild, hatches them in captivity, raises them until they are a suitable size to fight off stoats, and then they are returned to the wild. The Department of Conservation operates the programme with zoos and wildlife sanctuaries.

There are currently approximately 70,000 kiwi remaining in New Zealand, with wild numbers being lower. There are only about 24,000 brown kiwi living in the wild and 350 rowi, the rarest of five species of the bird.

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