Children save kiwi chicks from sleeping under the stars

NEWS RELEASE
Children save kiwi chicks from sleeping under the stars at Christmas
Kiwi kids make beds for kiwi chicks

Kiwi chick in new box lean to: two-month-old Vinnie from Taranaki.

Rotorua, 22 December 2016: Rainbow Springs' kiwi chicks have been saved from sleeping under the stars at Christmas thanks to an industrious group of students.

Hammers in hand and donated timber at the ready, students at Pakuranga College have built bed boxes to house kiwi chicks and Botany Downs Secondary College have sponsored and named chicks after the Matariki stars over several years.

The joint effort was coordinated by long time supporters of Rainbow Springs' chick hatchery, Kiwi Encounter, Gary Brinsden from Pakuranga College and Debbie McGregor from Botany Downs Secondary College.

Kiwi Encounter Assistant Kiwi Husbandry Manager Emma Bean says, "Naturally kiwi dig burrows in the ground to sleep in and whilst chicks are free to do that in our enclosures, they tend to choose the wooden bed boxes while they are staying on site until they reach the magical ‘stoat-proof’ weight of 1kg and are released back to the wild.

"It really was a great community initiative as PlaceMakers Pakuranga donated the timber – all to make sure there is room at the Inn for kiwi this festive season!"

Thirty boxes have been delivered to Kiwi Encounter so far, with more to come, and already kiwi chicks are enjoying a cozy snooze in their new beds.

Bay of Plenty Kaharoa School's Room Miro were also incredibly good this year and organised a bake sale to donate money to save kiwi, after learning about the plight of the kiwi in class. "So Santa is going to be very busy this Christmas with such a long list of ‘nice’ - not ‘naughty’ - children! Thank you Room Miro!" Emma says.

The hatch season is in full swing with 78 chicks hatched so far, a jump on the 64 hatched at the same time last year. On Christmas Day last year 3 chicks hatched, and more arrivals are on the cards for Christmas Day this year.

Rainbow Springs' involvement in kiwi conservation began in 1995 with the arrival of its first 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.
Kiwi Encounter's role in kiwi conservation is vital. Most kiwi chicks don't survive in the wild due to predators such as stoats, so staff from DOC (Department of Conservation) and independent kiwi organisations, lift the partially incubated eggs from their burrows and deliver them to Kiwi Encounter to incubate and hatch. Kiwi eggs take approximately 78 days to incubate, and slightly longer in the wild.
After hatching, the chicks are raised to a ‘stoat-proof’ weight of 1kg before being released back into the wild.
Kiwi Encounter also plays an important part in helping with kiwi research. The team is currently looking into making improvements to the artificial kiwi diet, lighting in nocturnal enclosures, the role of bacteria in egg shell contamination and coccidia (gut parasites) treatment trials.

To donate, or sponsor a kiwi, visit rainbowsprings.co.nz/donate

Rainbow Springs Nature Park
Rainbow Springs Nature Park is an icon of New Zealand tourism, and has been open since 1932. Set in acres of Rotorua parkland, Rainbow Springs has a strong conservation drive and is a breeding centre for endangered native species like the kiwi and tuatara. Features of the award-winning tourist attraction include New Zealand’s only “open to view” kiwi hatchery, Kiwi Encounter, the Big Splash water ride, free-flight bird show and a range of wildlife including trout, tuatara and native birds. Rainbow Springs is part of Ngāi Tahu Tourism's tourism portfolio.

Ngāi Tahu Tourism
Ngāi Tahu Tourism (a subsidiary of Ngāi Tahu Holdings) is New Zealand’s largest Māori-owned tourism business with up to 350 team members during peak season. The business manages over almost 1 million customer experiences throughout the year. The Ngāi Tahu Tourism portfolio includes:

- Rainbow Springs Nature Park (Rotorua)
- Agrodome (Rotorua)
- Hukafalls Jet (Taupō)
- Shotover Jet (Queenstown)
- Franz Josef Glacier Guides (Franz Josef)
- Glacier Hot Pools (Franz Josef)
- Dart River (Queenstown)
- Hollyford Track (Fiordland National Park)
- Guided Walks New Zealand and New Zealand Snowshoe (Queenstown)
- Glacier Southern Lakes Helicopters (Queenstown)
- Earth & Sky (Tekapo, Joint Venture)

© Scoop Media