Kiwi successfully translocated into the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary
40 Kiwi Pukupuku (Little Spotted Kiwi) were successfully translocated from their home on Kāpiti Island into the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary this week.
On Wednesday 7 May, 10 male and 10 female kiwi were flown into Nelson airport alongside iwi representatives from the North Island to be formally welcomed by receiving iwi representatives from ngā iwi o te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Maui (the eight tribes of the top of the South Island).
The first 20 were closely followed by another 20 kiwi pukupuku (10 male and 10 female), translocated in the same process on Sunday 11 May.
Released under the cover of darkness into the Sanctuary, this milestone event marks the culmination of two decades of eliminating pests to create the environment in which kiwi can once again thrive in Nelson.
Chris McCormack, Chief Executive of the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, speaking to media on Wednesday, said “Kiwi Pukupuku (or Little Spotted Kiwi) haven’t been present on the South Island for nearly 100 years, so this is a major milestone for us.”
Matt Hippolite, from Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, said, “It’s taken many people’s involvement and passion to get here. But can we really call ourselves kiwi, without kiwi!”
The event at the Sanctuary on Wednesday was attended by over 200 of the volunteers who have made this landmark event possible, working tirelessly for nearly 20 years to fence the Sanctuary, eradicate pests, and reintroduce threatened species such as the tuatara, kākāriki karaka, and powelliphanta into the Sanctuary over recent years.
Sunday’s translocation was attended by two lucky children who won the chance to be at the release of the kiwi in the Sanctuary’s ‘Kids Kiwi Release’ competition.
The Sanctuary is currently closed during the translocation to allow the kiwi to become established and reopens on Wednesday 14th May on Winter Hours.
Chris McCormack added, “Once the kiwi are settled into their new environment, we plan to run night-time guided tours to provide visitors with the opportunity to hear the kiwi and hopefully see them as well.”
“We’d like to offer our thanks and gratitude to everyone involved in the translocation and the dedicated team of staff and volunteers from the Sanctuary, Save the Kiwi, and the Department of Conservation. We also couldn’t have done this without the support of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, whose interests encompass both sides of Te Moana-o-Raukawa (the Cook Strait) and ngā iwi o te Tauihu o te Waka-a-Maui (the eight tribes of the top of the South Island).
Keep up to date with all the kiwi news and Sanctuary latest on our website. For in-depth videos and information on the translocation process, please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages.
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