A genuine kiwi love story

The two brown kiwis had not been seen since 2007. Photo / Supplied

A story of incredible survival against the odds, mystery, romance and escape from a killer foe has played out in a remote, bush-clad site near Whangarei.

The heartwarming story of Matarakau and Salote has been uncovered by Department of Conservation ranger Pete Graham and his kiwi-seeking dog Rua.

While tracking Northland brown kiwi in the Purua kiwi sanctuary, they found Matarakau and Salote, two mature birds which had not been seen or heard of since 2007 and 2008 respectively.

Matarakau, the male, was found as a juvenile in March 2002 and tracked by DOC's Whangarei kiwi team until 2006. That year he was found with an egg which he successfully hatched.

His transmitter was removed in January 2007.

Salote is a feisty female who was tagged as a chick in the Purua area in January 2000 and tracked until 2008. She was fitted with a new transmitter which failed and she had not been seen since.

This week Mr Graham and Rua found the kiwi together, cuddled up in a love nest, both in good condition and thriving.

Their discovery puts an end to fears the pair may have been among the victims of attack back in 2008 when uncontrolled dogs killed at least seven kiwi at Purua, northwest of Whangarei, and part of the greater Whangarei Kiwi Sanctuary.

"It is amazing that both of these kiwi managed to live through the nightmare of 2008," he said.

"Dogs are the number one killer of kiwi in Northland, and almost all dog-kiwi encounters are fatal.

"The lack of a sternum makes kiwi especially vulnerable to dogs. Even dogs that don't usually try to hunt can easily kill a kiwi by picking it up gently or giving it a playful nudge."

No one knows how long they've been a couple, how they survived the dog attacks, if they lost partners at that time, or whether they have bred together successfully in the past.