By Hannah Sarney
It was zoo keepers armed with kiwi ingenuity and masking tape that helped one hatchling break into the world facing forwards.
Wriggling around with all its might, the little brown kiwi accidentally kicked through the bottom of the shell and found itself trapped with nothing to push against. The keepers at Auckland Zoo were able to reinforce the broken parts of the shell with tape so the kiwi could push its bill out through the top and break free.
It went on to be a spirited little bird and earned the name Tamakitera, which means "daylight child" in Maori. It was the 24th kiwi to hatch at Auckland Zoo this season for Operation Nest Egg – and on Friday it became the 251st to be released into the wild on pest-free Motoura Island.
---
View photos of Tamakitera's release with one of Auckland Zoo's vets Anna Le Souef
---
It's one of many success stories that have come out of the BNZ Save the Kiwi's Operation Nest Egg - a partnership programme involving BNZ, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society.
Kiwi eggs and chicks are removed from the wild so they can be hatched and/or raised in captivity. They are returned to the wild when they are big and strong enough to fend for themselves.
"An adult kiwi can do okay at protecting itself against pests, but a chick has no shot whatsoever," said Auckland Zoo keeper Michelle Whybrow. "Over 95 percent are killed before they reach six-months-old. Those were the statistics that got [Operation Nest Egg] going."
The programme has been running every breeding season since 1995. It buys researchers time while long-term cost-effective and sustainable solutions are developed to keep large areas of forest free of predators - particularly dogs.
BNZ Save the Kiwi says that kiwi and dogs don't mix - regardless of their size, breed, or obedience level.
Kiwis have a very distinctive and strong smell that attracts dogs from all walks of life.
"Uncontrolled farm dogs or hunting dogs are a problem. In other areas it may be visitors coming for a walk in the bush with their pet dogs - they think that their dog wouldn't do anything, but it doesn't matter," said Ms Whybrow. "Just because you haven't seen anything when you go for a walk doesn’t mean they haven't found a kiwi in a burrow, killed it and then come back to you... The kiwi aren't eaten, they're just simply shaken, killed and then dropped."
The worst known case happened in Waitangi Forest in 1987. One female German shepherd was left to roam and is believed to have killed more than 500 of the 900 kiwi living in the forest.
In predator and pest-free environments, such as Motoura Island, the young kiwis thrive.
"When I went over there recently (with DOC), we were catching up with birds that I hadn't seen in a year or two and they're looking great," said Ms Whybrow. "They're not fat, but they're plump - all their feathers are lovely and good quality."
"Some do slip through the gaps - we do actually find kiwi without implants - they've been bred on the island. So the young kiwis over there are obviously doing so well that they are surviving on their own."
Northland's kiwi populations would be self-sustaining if dog weren't a part of the equation. Unfortunately, dog attacks have caused the life expectancy of Northland's kiwi to drop from 40-65 years of age to only 14 years.
Kiwi aversion training is available for hunting, farm and pet dogs. However, it is never guaranteed that even a trained dog won't attack a kiwi - they are better off as far apart as possible.
If you own a dog and live in a kiwi area, BNZ Save the Kiwi recommends keeping it tied up, inside or on a lead at all times. If you see a dog roaming without its owner, you should report it to DOC.
Kiwi may be flightless, but with our help the population could one day take off.
3 News
Donations can be made to support Operation Nest Egg:
BNZ Save the Kiwi, DOC and the Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society. There are also the many captive-rearing facilities: Auckland Zoo, Kiwi Encounter at Rainbow Springs in Rotorua, the Whangarei Native Bird Rescue Centre, Napier's Westshore Wildlife Reserve, Otorohanga Kiwi House, Willowbank Wildlife reserve in Christchurch and the West Coast Wildlife Centre in Franz Josef.
source: newshub archive
