Milestone 1000th kiwi hatched
18 Feb 2008
Kiwi conservation programme BNZ Operation Nest Egg (ONE) is celebrating the hatching of its 1000th kiwi chick.
The kiwi chick was born at the Rotorua Kiwi Encounter - in the North Island of New Zealand - and has been named 'Hupai', the Maori word for 'to overcome'.
The sex of the new arrival won't be known for about five months.
Operation Nest Egg
Operation Nest Egg, sponsored by the BNZ (Bank of New Zealand), was started in 1994 to save the endangered kiwi species. There are thought to be just 100,000 kiwis left in the world.
Eggs are collected, incubated and hatched, and the chicks are reared in captivity until they are big enough to be released into the wild.
Birds raised this way have a 65% chance of surviving their first year of life.
Only 5% of kiwi hatched in the wild reach adulthood, and 20% survival is needed for a population to grow.
Hupai will be taken to Bushy Park in Wanganui when it is about four weeks old. Once it has gained sufficient weight, it will be returned to its Waimarino forest home.
More information:
Iconic New Zealand birds
Bird conservation in New Zealand
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