North Island Brown Kiwi feeding
Our kiwi is in strife. Only 6% of chicks survive in the face of introduced predators. The North Island Brown Kiwi, Apteryx mantelli, is officially an endangered species. Its chief stronghold is here in Northland, where the largest surviving population is in Waipoua Forest. But it is under threat from stoats, ferrets, dogs and feral cats.
Our priority is to control these predators. Trapping and reasearch by the Department of Conservation at Trounson Kauri Park has established reliable control techniques. We are applying these to our 850 hectares and a large area of buffer lands.
Our mission is to hatch kiwi eggs collected from the wild and rear the chicks until they are big enough (1.2 kg) to resist most of their enemies. Because kiwi breed slowly, this will have a big effect on the recovery of our kiwi population.