Quake Kiwi Ready for Release

This Sunday, Otautahi a Kiwi who hatched at Orana Wildlife Park, will be released to the wild in the Rimutaka Forest Park near Wellington. As an egg Otautahi was rocked about inside the incubator during last February’s 6.3 magnitude earthquake, but miraculously still hatched.

Orana’s Head Keeper of Native Fauna, Alyssa Salton, says she has mixed emotions at the thought of Otautahi departing: “He has been a really lovely bird to work with so we are sad to see him go. When he hatched, he gave our team something very positive to focus on at a time when so many horrible events had occurred around Canterbury as a result of the earthquake. On the other hand, I am really pleased that he will be released to the wild, this is part of what we aim to achieve as a captive institution. Plus, I understand there are many potential girlfriends waiting for him in the Rimutakas so he has the chance to help preserve his species.”

Otautahi is a one year old, male, Brown Kiwi and the species is classified as Nationally Vulnerable by the Department of Conservation. Orana Wildlife Park is involved in the captive component of the Recovery Programme for the species and a key role is educating the public on the plight of our national icon. “People can help wild Kiwi by being aware that even the smallest dogs have the potential to kill Kiwi and hence need to be controlled in Kiwi habitat” concludes Alyssa.

About Kiwi
• Kiwi are fascinating birds and are unique to New Zealand. They are flightless as well as nocturnal and have nostrils at the tip of the beak which helps them sniff out food and probe for insects.
• Kiwi eggs are proportionately one of the largest of any bird and can weigh between one quarter to one sixth of the female’s body weight! (or averages 15%) The male incubates the eggs for 72–85 days.
• Kiwi can live for over 30 years and in the wild pairs may mate for life.
• Like most of New Zealand’s native fauna, kiwi are under constant threat, especially from introduced mammals including stoats, weasels, ferrets, cats and dogs, as well as from habitat loss. While adult kiwi are capable of defending themselves from everything except dogs, kiwi eggs and chicks are particularly vulnerable.
• Kiwi are related to the ostrich of Africa and the emu of Australia.
• There are five Kiwi sub-species (and a number of different taxa within those sub-species), all of which are threatened to varying degrees: Brown; Rowi; Tokoeka; Great Spotted and Little Spotted Kiwi.
• If people are visiting suspected Kiwi habitat we urge them to leave their dog at home, or keep it on a leash at all times. If land owner’s have property bordering bush land, we hope people will become aware that Kiwi frequently forage at the bush margin and pastures. In this situation, it is best to keep dogs contained at night. All of these measures will help conserve Kiwi.

About Orana Wildlife Park
Orana Wildlife Park is NZ’s only open range zoo and is home to over 400 animals from more than 70 different species. The Park is owned and operated by Orana Wildlife Trust, a registered charitable trust, which also runs Natureland Zoo in Nelson. The Trust also owned Southern Encounter Aquarium & Kiwi House (Cathedral Square) until February when it was closed indefinitely after a devastating 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Christchurch. The Trust is committed to the conservation of wildlife diversity on this planet. Our aims, along with being dedicated to the conservation of endangered species and the welfare of our animals, are to provide education, recreation and enjoyment to the public and to support research relating to endangered animals. The Trust is a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) and ZAA NZ.

ENDS

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