A young North Island brown kiwi arrived at the park from the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve in Christchurch yesterday afternoon.
Before his release into a burrow in the park’s kiwi house, staff gathered for a ceremony in which a long-time friend of the park, Willie Solomon, blessed the two-and-a-half-year-old bird and gave him the name Te Ao Hou, which means a new beginning, or new start.
General manager Paul Kavanagh said it reflected the sense of optimism the park’s owners and staff had for the future after a challenging time since last year’s Covid-19 lockdown, during which revenue had plunged by about 80%.
Senior wildlife keeper Chrissy Becker-Fifield said the park was part of a breed-for-release programme, and would look after Te Ao Hou until he was ready to be released into the wild.
"He could stay for a few years; the main aim is making sure any younger kiwi are at least 1.2kg to 1.5kg in weight, because it means they can defend themselves against stoats, which are the primary predators for very young chicks."
He would immediately be on display in the park’s new kiwi house.
