There are just 70,000 kiwi left - and in 50 years there could be none

NZ Herald

30 Sep, 2014 04:00 PM3 mins to read

The stats are grim. 95% of kiwi that hatch in unprotected areas die before they reach breeding age. We are losing approximately 2% of our kiwi population every year. We lose an average of 27 kiwi every week. Around 1,400 every year. At this rate, we risk kiwi disappearing in our lifetime. This generation needs to act now or the next generation may not have the opportunity to save their national bird.

The brown fluffy bird with the oversized beak is part of New Zealand's culture, but with 27 kiwis dying each week they could die-off in about 50 years.

In New Zealand there are 70,000 protected kiwi left - down from 100,000 in the early 1990s when the programme to protect kiwi was first introduced.

Kiwis for Kiwi chief executive Michelle Impey said while the number of kiwi being killed had reduced from about four to two per cent annually, more funding was needed to remove predators for their protection. Traps were often the first and most effective way of protecting the vulnerable bird.

"We are definitely making an impact and we are trending the right way, but the reality is we are losing more than we are saving and we need to do more."

Ms Impey said kiwi were at their most vulnerable in the first three years of their lives as their defence mechanism to stand still did not protect them against introduced predators such as stoats, ferrets and as a result 95 per cent died before they reached breeding age. But once they past the age of three - only cars, dogs and ferrets could kill them.

"This isn't just trying to falsely trying to create some sense of urgency about it. This is real - we are losing them and we don't want to lose them."

October is Save Kiwi Month and the money raised from the charity Kiwis for Kiwi appeal is aimed to raise funds for predator removal in kiwi habitat (you can make a donation here). Currently there are 80-community-led projects aimed at keeping predators out and money raised will fund these and enable new ones (article continues after the graphic).

A project run over 3,500ha in the Coromandel has reported the highest growth rate kiwi in New Zealand with a 14.5 per cent annual increase numbers from 29 in 2001 to 98 in 2010.

The Whenuakite Care Group is run by one of the land owners and farmers Arthur and his wife Diane Hinds who believed the increase was due to to the tireless efforts by volunteers to empty and bait the 500 traps in the area in a move of keeping stoats out.

Mr Hinds first banned dogs from his land after a hunting pack killed a large number of his sheep. He realised there were additional benefits to the ban when he saw the rise in kiwi numbers.

Kiwis for Kiwi aims to raise $100,000 as part of its long-term goal to reverse the decline of kiwi by 2018 and eventually see an annual increase of two per cent of the population. It also assists in education, advocacy and research and monitoring programmes, as well as supporting breeding programme BNZ Operation Nest Egg which raises 200 chicks each year.