Warm welcome for Little Browns

Warm welcome for Little Browns

A warm welcome is anticipated from the Wairarapa community when an RNZAF Hercules touches down at Masterton's Hood Aerodrome with up to 30 little brown kiwi on board on Friday.

Caught on Hauturu / Little Barrier island over the past week, the kiwi are destined for Pukaha Mount Bruce, to boost the gene pool, and increase the population of kiwi already reintroduced to the Pukaha forest. The transfer has been made possible through a huge community fundraising campaign.

A kiwi from Pukaha Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre will also be on hand to greet the newcomers, along with the Pukaha Mount Bruce Board, Department of Conservation, Rangitane o Wairarapa and representatives from BNZ Save the Kiwi, who sponsor kiwi recovery nationwide.

Pukaha Mount Bruce Board chairman, Bob Francis invited the whole community to welcome the birds.

“We want to be able to share this historic occasion with the community, who have made this possible. The Flight of the Kiwi has been an amazing fundraising effort and we are grateful to all our supporters from near and far”.

These birds will help form the breeding foundation for a planned population of 500 kiwi at Pukaha. Much of the money goes towards the ongoing pest control work which is critical to the survival and growth of endangered birds such as kiwi and kokako in the forest.

Challenged by the logistics of transporting 30 kiwi over 650km from Auckland to Masterton, the Department of Conservation called on the Royal New Zealand Air Force for assistance.

A C130 Hercules aircraft from No 40 Squadron is on task at the time of the transfer and had the spare capacity to provide a swift and direct transfer from RNZAF Base Auckland to Hood Aerodrome in Masterton, DOC’s Wairarapa Area manager Chris Lester said.

“The RNZAF had the capacity and expertise to transfer this number of kiwi within the required timeframe, and directly from Auckland, which reduces stress on the birds.”

The Hercules is expected to land at Hood Aerodrome with its precious cargo at around 1.30pm and people turning up to greet them will have the chance to see a Pukaha resident kiwi. “Unfortunately we can’t introduce the newcomers as we don’t want to cause them any undue stress,” Mr Lester said.

Members of the public will be able to assemble in a fenced off area outside the Trust House Airport Terminal on Manaia Road. Parking will be available in an area adjacent to the airfield.

The birds will be driven to Pukaha Mt Bruce and released into the forest later that day.

ends

© Scoop Media