Kiwi happy in new Pukaha home
11 May 2010
All 30 kiwi re-located in New Zealand’s largest-ever wildlife transfer operation are doing well and appear to be happy in their new home at the Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre in Wairarapa.
The North Island brown kiwi spent about 24 hours in transit from the time they were captured on Hauturu / Little Barrier Island, in the Hauraki Gulf, to their release on Friday (7.05.2010) at Pukaha Mt Bruce.
Transmitter readings show that four days on, the kiwi are all moving around, at least one of the pairs have stayed together and there are signs that normal bodily functions have been resumed.
Flight of the kiwi
Designed to boost the population of North Island brown kiwi, the mass transfer, dubbed ‘Flight of the Kiwi’, was a major operation involving the Department of Conservation (DOC), teams of conservationists and the Royal New Zealand Air force.
It involved months of work and a major nationwide fundraising effort.
The birds were captured on Hauturu Island, tucked into their own special boxes, then flown by helicopter to the RNZAF base at Whenuapai in West Auckland.
The kiwi were then transferred to a Hercules aircraft for a one-hour flight to Masterton where they received an emotional welcome from hundreds of well-wishers.
After being loaded into DOC vehicles, the kiwi were driven under police escort to their new home at Pukaha Mt Bruce.
Mt Bruce board chairman Bob Francis said it was a moment in history and an emotional time.
"To see these birds be flown in, and know they are our great hope of stepping up breeding and having 500 kiwi in the wild that people can see, is the culmination of six months' hard work and a strong dream," he said.
Tracking new arrivals
With concerns for their safety because of hot conditions and dehydration, conservationists had to work quickly to release the birds into the natural environment.
Each bird is fitted with a monitor, and staff have been tracking their movements since arrival.
Pukaha Mt Bruce biodiversity programme manager, Bruce Vander Lee says all 30 kiwi are moving around in the valley where they were released and some have ventured up to 200 metres from their burrow.
"At least one of the pairs has stayed together which is a good sign. We have also found probe marks which is strong evidence that they are eating. And we also know they’re defecating, so their bodily functions are normal," said Vander Lee.
The transmitters fitted to each kiwi last up to 12 months, and the birds will be monitored closely during that time.
In one to three months’ time the kiwis will undergo a thorough health examination including a weight check.
Boosting numbers
The new arrivals more than doubles the number of kiwi roaming the 940-hectare forest at Mt Bruce, and is a major step on the road to having 500 kiwi living in the National Wildlife Centre’s protected forest.
Kiwi hadn’t been seen in the area for 100 years until 2003 when 19 captive-bred kiwi were freed into the forest.
Bob Francis says the Mt Bruce kiwi population should be self-sufficient and robust enough to withstand threats such as predators and bad weather.
A nationwide community-driven fundraising campaign was aiming to raise $300,000 to support the forest restoration, including pest control, he said.
The kiwi conservation efforts would also involve a $1.5 million upgrade and expansion of the kiwi enclosures and other facilities at the wildlife centre.
More information:
RNZAF takes on kiwi rescue operation
New Zealand bird sanctuaries
Bird conservation in New Zealand
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| Conservationists captured 30 kiwi on Little Barrier Island and transferred them in individual boxes by airforce hercules from Auckland. |
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| Each bird had a full health check on arrival at Pukaha Mt Bruce.
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| The 30 kiwi were released into bush at Pukaha Mt Bruce doubling the numbers at the wildlife centre.
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| The new arrivals are relaxed and happy with their new home.
Photos: Mike Heydon, Pukaha Mt Bruce |
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