Cranky the kiwi a hit with riders

KIWI FANS: Local mountain biker Gabby Molloy (right) visiting Cranky. SUPPLIED

Cranky the kiwi chick is stealing hearts at Rainbow Springs' Kiwi Encounter.

Named in honour of the New Zealand leg of the Crankworx mountain biking world tour underway in Rotorua this week, local nationally ranked mountain biker Gabby Molloy is one park visitor who loves Cranky.

Ms Molloy visited the Kiwi Encounter hatchery recently and was amazed at the work the team does nurturing each egg to hatch stage and feeding and monitoring the chick until it's strong enough to be released back to its home into the wild.

A couple of the event's international riders, Tracy Moseley and Jerome Clementz, also took a peek at Cranky.

"Those birds are seriously cute. And I will do anything I can to help the ongoing conservation work with them," Ms Molloy said.

As a mountain biker she spends a lot of time out in the bush and fresh air, and is well in touch with how important the conservation of New Zealand's precious resources is, especially kiwi.

She is keen to help raise the profile of the work Kiwi Encounter does and to help encourage donations to the charity to enable the team to continue with their work.

Cranky hatched on 14 March and is from the Coromandel region. The chick is strong and healthy and once it weighs around 1kg it will be released back to its home in the Coromandel.

To donate, or sponsor a kiwi, visit http://www.rainbowsprings.co.nz/donate.