Kiwi Encounter Hatches Milestone 700th Kiwi

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 25th February 2009

Kiwi Encounter Hatches Milestone 700th Kiwi

Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua is today celebrating the safe arrival of the 700th Kiwi hatched there since they commenced participation in the kiwi recovery programme in 1995/6.

The chick, named Whiturau (700 in maori), hatched just before midnight yesterday weighing a healthy 253.6 grams. The hatch was uneventful and the husbandry team at the National Kiwi Trust (Kiwi Encounter) are ecstatic at achieving the milestone after what has been a record breaking 2008/09 season. ‘’This is a stunning achievement for the entire National Kiwi trust team and an amazing result for our kiwi – we could not do this work without the help of all the volunteers and supporters the trust has’’ commented Kiwi Husbandry Manager, Claire Travers.

This special kiwi hails from Ohope and will be re-released back into the wild when it reaches its goal weight of approximately one kilogram in weight. It is not yet known whether the kiwi is male or female as its feathers need to be sent away for DNA testing to determine its gender.

“The average survival rate for a kiwi hatched in the wild is only about 6%, whereas it’s around 65-70% through the kiwi recovery programme,” explains Travers. “Every kiwi we release back into the wild helps improve the chances of us being able to slow the decline of the kiwi population which is under immense threat from loss of habitat and predators.”

This milestone comes in the same month that four kiwi chicks were released on Kohi Point in the Ohope region.

The birds (Santana, Mataroa, Onemana and Rangi) are part of the hugely successful Ohope Kiwi Project, one of the largest regions that Kiwi Encounter accept eggs from. It comes at the end of what has been one of the most successful seasons ever (Over 120 chicks hatched in one season – the largest number ever) and one with a number of firsts. This included one clutch with 3 eggs and sibling eggs hatching on the same day, this is highly unusual and will provide the trust with interesting research to further help kiwi in their fight for survival.

The National Kiwi Trust would like to thank their major sponsors (Intercity Coachlines) and all the people who visit the facility every year – the work at Kiwi Encounter would not be possible without this ongoing support.

Kiwi Encounter at Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua is unlike any other "attraction" you may have visited. It is a unique conservation centre which gives visitors the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at kiwi "conservation in action" for the first time in New Zealand. For those who want to support the National Kiwi Trust at Kiwi Encounter, sponsorship options start at $NZ50. www.kiwiencounter.co.nz. The National Kiwi Trust is supported by major sponsors Intercity Group, More FM and Environment Bay of Plenty.

ENDS

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