In the Wellington suburb of Makara, New Zealand, a conservationist named Pete Kirkman recently made a significant discovery. At the entrance of a burrow beneath a towering fern, he found two kiwi hatchlings, a rare event in this area where the kiwi had disappeared for over a century due to urban development and nonnative predators. The reintroduction of kiwis to Makara is part of a broader government program aimed at eliminating nonnative avian predators from New Zealand by 2050. The success in Makara is attributed to intensive efforts, including the installation of thousands of predator traps and collaboration with local communities. The two hatchlings found by Kirkman are the first to be born in the wild in the Wellington area in living memory, marking a significant milestone in the conservation initiative.
Photo Credit: Jasmin Egger