Taranaki Young Farmers fund kiwi care

Taranaki’s Young Farmers are playing a vital role in helping rebuild the region’s dwindling kiwi population.

Two juvenile kiwi were released into Egmont National Park on Sunday as part of a Taranaki Kiwi Trust programme

Taranaki’s Young Farmers’ clubs donated $600 to help cover costs associated with rearing one of the chicks.

“It costs up to $1500 to get a kiwi from an egg to a 1.2 kilogram bird which can fend off predators and is ready for release,” said Taranaki Kiwi Trust manager Michelle Bird.

The birds were incubated and hatched at Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua.

“They came back to Taranaki earlier this year and have been growing inside a predator-free zone at Rotokare Scenic Reserve,” she said.

Both kiwi were fitted with transmitters before entering their new home so they can be monitored. “One of the big aims of this programme is to learn more about kiwi behaviour and how far they travel,” she said.

“Currently we don’t know much about kiwi on Mount Taranaki because of the difficult terrain.”