Five Coromandel brown kiwi have been released onto predator free Motutapu island. This species of kiwi is one of the most challenged in the country with only 1500 left in the wild.
The release marks the launch of New Zealand's new kiwi protection agency - Kiwis for kiwi with the goal of building a large breeding population that will enable the eventual relocation of kiwi back to mainland sanctuaries.
Kiwis for kiwi patron Sir Graham Henry says he hopes New Zealanders will give it all the support they can.
"Like many of us, I thought our national bird was so important that its population was stable, so I was deeply concerned to find out that without help, kiwi would be virtually gone from the mainland in our lifetime.
"In recent years I have seen and felt the full force of how deeply New Zealanders value their national identity, particularly on the sports field. This organisation to save kiwi must strike the same chord of national pride, because New Zealand without kiwi is unimaginable," says Sir Graham.