Whakaora, the 200th kiwi chick hatched at the Kiwi Burrow, which opened in October 2019. Photo / Save the Kiwi
A kiwi hatching facility has marked its 200th hatchling in just over two years of operating.
The new chick has been named Whakaora, which means "healing" or "to save", and arrived on the auspicious date of 2/2/2022.
The burrow, run by Save the Kiwi, also has 12 eggs incubating, three
in various stages of hatching, and 14 chicks putting on weight in the brooder room.
So far this season, 81 chicks have been released, and the Crombie Lockwood Kiwi Burrow has the potential to beat last season's total of 101 successful hatches.
Save the Kiwi executive director Michelle Impey says 200 kiwi hatched was a significant milestone because 95 per cent of kiwi chicks that hatch in areas of the wild without predator control die before they reach adulthood.
