Kiwis conceived in the wild were yesterday set free into the protected heart of a once mighty forest for the first time in a century.
About 40 people gathered to witness the historic release of the North Island brown kiwis. They were introduced to the pest-proofed forest surrounding the wildlife centre
at Pukaha Mount Bruce in the Wairarapa.
The kiwis were all hand-reared since they were hatched in incubators late last year and another chick hatched in February will soon be released.
"It is very exciting to be releasing kiwi here for the first time in 100 years that were conceived in the wild" said Sally Thomas, National Wildlife Centre community relations programme manager.
"With the support of the community the kiwi have the opportunity to thrive and carry on to breed successfully."
There have been 10 kiwis already released as part of the Pukaha Mount Bruce Restoration Project and over the next few months another 13 of the juvenile kiwis will also be given over to the forest.
The transfers will boost to 24 the wild kiwi population at the centre, she said.
The three newly released birds each weighed about 1.2kg, the optimum weight reckoned to ensure their survival, and were all aged about four months old.
Ms Thomas said that the Pukaha Mount Bruce restoration project cost about $200,000 each year to fund, half of which came from the Wairarapa community.
She said that since the project started in early 2001, the community has raised about $300,000 towards pest control in the forest.
Kaka and kokako are two other varieties of native birds that have also been successfully reintroduced into the forest through the project, Ms Thomas said.
Two of the three birds released yesterday were conceived in the wild, while the remaining bird was conceived in captivity in the nocturnal house at the centre.
- WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE
