Woman mistakes scared kiwi for burglar

The tiny, scared kiwi that gave a woman a fright. Photo: Laura Jerome / Facebook

A Northland woman was home alone when, at 2 o'clock this morning, she heard footsteps on her deck.

Terrified, and with her dogs going "mental", Laura Jerome from Doves Bay near Kerikeri put on her dressing gown and went to investigate.

But when she switched on the lights, what met her was not frightening at all - it was a tiny, scared kiwi.

"It was amazing," she wrote on Facebook today. "I had to put the light off really fast 'cause it was scared."

But before she did, she took some quick photographs of the rarely seen bird.

She then put her dogs into a bedroom to give the kiwi "some peace and quiet".

Ms Jerome later commented on the little bird's feat - climbing 20 high steps to get on to the deck.

"A big jump for a wee kiwi - I was worried he might not get down again, but I searched for him this morning and he'd gone back to his house!"

It did leave behind a little present, however.

"Only sign of him was a huge poo outside the bedroom window!"