Kiwis get protection in Hawke's Bay

A 30ha predator-proof enclosure will be built alongside a Department of Conservation reserve in Hawkes Bay.

The $500,000 enclosure will shelter wild kiwi at times of high predator numbers, and be home to the reserve's own kiwi.

The enclosure is an initiative of the Napier Environment, Conservation and Outdoor Education Trust.

Trustee and Central Hawkes Bay Mayor Tim Gilbertson said the trust had raised $100,000 and hoped to get the rest from gaming trusts and sponsors.

Chicks will be released into the Kaweka Ranges, home to the north island's most southern North Island brown kiwi population.