Island becomes creche for kiwi

By JO-MARIE BROWN

A kiwi creche has been set up on Mokoia Island, in the middle of Lake Rotorua.

The island has been predator-free since 1991 so will provide an ideal first home for kiwi chicks hatched at Rotorua's Rainbow Springs as part of the Operation Nest Egg programme.

Until now, chicks have been released back into managed areas within forests on the mainland once they have reached a certain weight and can fend for themselves.

But Kieron Goodwin, executive director of the Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery Trust which funds the Nest Egg programme, said up to eight young kiwi at any one time would now be sent to Mokoia Island instead.

"Even in the managed habitat areas the chick survival rates are very low. Stoats and cats are very difficult to trap so they still knock over a good 80 to 85 per cent of your chicks," he said.

"The only way you should lose chicks out here on Mokoia should be from natural causes.

"They won't be getting eaten by anything and they won't be short of food so they'll easily fatten up."

The island's first kiwi inhabitant was released in February and was joined by two more yesterday.

Once they have established themselves in the creche, they will return to the mainland and be replaced by other youngsters.

DoC's Rotorua Lakes area manager Phil Alley said the 3.8km distance between the city and the island was too far for stoats and rats to swim so the kiwi would be well protected.

A similar creche programme had begun on Motuhora (Whale Island) off the Whakatane coast, and it was hoped breeding pairs found in the wild throughout the Bay of Plenty would also be relocated to the islands in future.