How do you bring a kiwi home?: The Brook Waimārama Sanctuary

🏡 How do you bring a kiwi home?
With care, precision… and a whole lot of teamwork. 💚
This week, 40 kiwi pukupuku will be welcomed into Brook Waimārama Sanctuary — marking the return of this precious species to the South Island for the first time in nearly 100 years.
But before they arrive, they must be found, assessed, and moved with the utmost care.
This operation is part of a carefully managed conservation effort, involving:
✔️ Expert kiwi handlers from @savethekiwinz
✔️ Health checks, microchipping, banding, and disease screening
✔️ Monitoring with transmitters
✔️ Low-stress, high-care transport
A translocation is more than just moving birds — it’s a step towards reintroducing a taonga species with the best possible chance of survival and success.
The process happens in three phases:
Phase 1:
Kiwi were carefully located and captured at the northern end of Kāpiti Island by a skilled team, including Ngāti Toa and Sanctuary staff.
Phase 2:
A second team worked from DOC huts at Rangitira Point, targeting central island zones. Together, the teams captured 40 kiwi pukupuku selected for translocation.
Phase 3:
Following health checks and disease screening, the kiwi will be transported in specially designed transfer boxes — which double as release boxes at the Sanctuary.
This project is made possible thanks to:
🟢 Save the Kiwi
🟢 Our 2,500+ members
🟢 Local businesses and sponsors (including @jenshansen.co.nz and the Kiwi Establishment Fund)
🟢 And the ongoing support of the Nelson community 💚
Every detail counts. Every bird matters.
This is how we bring kiwi home.

#BringingKiwiHome #KiwiPukupuku #BrookSanctuary #KiwiComeback #ConservationNZ #LittleSpottedKiwi #TranslocationDay #KiwiWhānau

Click here to find out more…