Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Rachel Hunter's kiwi chick released back to the wild


Rachel Hunter's kiwi chick released back to the wild

Rotorua, 27 March 2013 – Rachel Hunter's precious kiwi egg has hatched into a healthy chick that today is being released back into its natural habitat.

'Hunter' is now a healthy 1,114g after being incubated and hatched at Rainbow Springs Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua, and is being released back into the Maungataniwha native forest in the Central North Island.


Claire Travers, Kiwi Encounter Kiwi Husbandry Manager says, "Hunter is a very cute kiwi with patches of white feathers above her eyes, she is a very healthy chick that will thrive in the wild, she's actually surprisingly placid which is unusual for a female."

Rachel, who is patron of the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust, says, "It’s great that Hunter is going back home. It seems like just yesterday that we took her out of the forest at Maungataniwha. I felt really bad taking the egg from its nest, even though I knew it was for the best – we know that if left in the wild she would almost certainly not have survived.

"But it’s great that now she’s big enough and strong enough to look after herself and that she’s going home to the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust property that she originally came from, which I think is one of the best parts of this story. Now she’ll raise chicks of her own and help continue the cycle of life. The relationship between Kiwis (people) and kiwi I witnessed that weekend in November last year will live long in my memory.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Rachel adds that Hunter's safe arrival into the world and development into a healthy kiwi chick couldn’t have happened without Claire and her fabulous team at Kiwi Encounter. "We at the Trust owe them a huge debt of gratitude for making this possible."

Rainbow Springs' involvement in kiwi conservation began in 1995 with the arrival of an orphaned egg and the hatchery has grown over the years to become the largest kiwi hatching facility in New Zealand, successfully incubating and hatching brown kiwi eggs from around the North Island.
Rainbow Springs, Fairy Springs Road, Rotorua
www. rainbowsprings.co.nz

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.