Two juvenile female takahē hatched and raised at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari have been successfully transferred to new locations at the end of last week, supporting the ongoing work of the national Department of Conservation Takahē Recovery Programme.

The young birds, Manawanui and Manawaiti, were transported as precious cargo on an Air New Zealand flight on Thursday, receiving karakia from mana whenua prior to their departure.

Manawanui travelled to the Burwood Takahē Centre, to join a structured breeding and prerelease training programme that prepares takahē for life in the wild. Manawaiti was translocated to Willowbank Wildlife Reserve, which plays a vital role as a breeding site, and helps to connect visitors with the story of this nationally vulnerable species and the collaborative efforts behind its recovery.

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is home to two breeding pairs of takahē through the Department of Conservation’s Takahē Recovery Programme, delivered in partnership with Ngāi Tahu and is supported by mana whenua and a network of sanctuary sites nationwide.

To date 27 juveniles, including Manawanui and Manawaiti, have been hatched, raised, and transferred from Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari to other protected sites around the country as part of the programme, contributing directly to the genetic diversity and long-term resilience of the national population.

All wildlife species translocated or moved as part of national breeding programmes into or from Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari have been transferred through a tono process led by Maungatautari mana whenua Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, Ngāti Hauā, Raukawa, and Waikato, in partnership with the mana whenua of the gifting or receiving sites.

This transfer of young takahē contributes to the national effort to grow takahē numbers and strengthen the genetic resilience of the population, following decades of collaborative work between iwi, conservation organisations, and community partners.

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