The trapper took the injured kiwi to the Department of Conservation office in Kaitaia, staff delivering it to a nearby vet clinic, but the injured bird needed specialist care.
Kiwi Coast Far North co-ordinator and retired vet Lesley Baigent, who had treated many injured kiwi before, stepped in to help, nursing it back to health, against significant odds.
"Kiwi caught in ground-set possum traps usually die. Often their legs are too severely injured to recover," she said.
"They can also sustain a lot of muscle damage as they repeatedly try to pull their leg out of the trap, which can lead to hip dislocation and kidney damage. Even if they initially seem fine, many die. Good on the trapper for bringing the kiwi in so we could help get him back to full health."
Possum control could be carried out safely in kiwi areas by raising traps 750mm off the ground, Ngaire said. Leg-hold traps, commonly used by possum fur trappers, could simply be put on a small wooden plate, held in place on a tree or post by three nails.
Trappers operating in known kiwi areas were required by law to raise their traps, failing which they could face prosecution. All live capture traps must be checked within 12 hours of sunrise, a law that saved this kiwi's life.
Lesley feared the worst when the bird arrived however. The Northland brown kiwi had a severe cut to the lower right leg, a deep cut to the middle toe on the left leg, a very bruised bill, and both feet were very swollen. Initially he could not stand on his feet, so sat on his hocks.
"Worryingly, at first he would not eat or put weight on his feet, and was very quiet. However, after antibiotics and some rest in a dark quiet kiwi box, his injuries began to heal and he began taking food. After a couple of days he started getting a bit feisty, and I knew he was on the mend," Lesley said.
She then worked with DOC, local iwi Te Rarawa and the Hammonds to get the kiwi back to its home.
Named Manukaha (Strong Bird) by locals in recognition of his survivor spirit, it was released back on to the Hammonds' farm on November 17.
"The key take-home message here is that kiwi truly can be anywhere in Northland. It's best to raise all possum traps 750mm off the ground, even if you are not sure that kiwi are around," Lesley added.
John and Sarah agreed: "We thought we were doing our best to try and protect the natural habitat areas on our farm by encouraging possum control," Sarah said, "but it turned out that despite our best intentions, we may have inadvertently undermined what we were trying to do. We have since made changes to our pest control policy to make it as kiwi-friendly as possible, so Manukaha and his mate have the very best chance of living a long and happy life in our area, and in doing so, will have the opportunity to expand their whānau."
Manukaha had a brood patch, an area on his chest where he was missing feathers, showing that he had a mate, and had been incubating an egg (or two) nearby when he was caught in the trap.
"Although this nest would have failed while Manukaha was getting back to full health, as the egg(s) would have gone cold, he and his mate have the chance now to nest again," Lesley said.
"There's a good chance that there is a little kiwi population quietly living on this farm, and it may increase by a chick or two in a few months, as Manukaha and his mate may well get another nest going this season.
"If you need help to raise possum traps off the ground, or are keen to learn more about trapping safely in kiwi areas, contact Kiwi Coast - we're here to help," she added.
