A young dog is about to become the unlikely new best friend of the critically endangered Westland rowi kiwi.
Rein, a 4-month-old Hungarian Vizsla pup, recently joined the Department of Conservation team in Franz Josef as a new tool in the search for the shy rowi in the South Okarito Forest.
About 350 birds are believed to live in the Okarito kiwi zone and just half of them are known to and being monitored by Doc.
By 2018, Doc hopes to have grown the population to 600 birds.
But in the meantime, Doc wants to find more rowi, so it can boost the gene pool of the known breeding pairs.
Doc rowi rangers used transmitters and tracking equipment to find birds it has previously caught under Operation Nest Egg.
But ranger Iain Graham's adoption of the enthusiastic Rein means they can try and find more birds that do not yet have the high-tech gear worn by the Nest Egg birds.
Rein will also be able to help track any offspring of Nest Egg parents.
It will be a busy couple of years ahead for Mr Graham to train Rein, who will not be allowed in South Okarito Forest without a muzzle or handler.
"Vizslas are actually bred as all-round hunting dogs so are genetically predisposed to hunt for birds," Mr Graham said.
"Ironically, these animals, as with all dogs, can be prolific killers of kiwi. However, with the right training and in the correct hands, they can also become very valuable conservation tools . . .
"There is no such thing as a 'kiwi-proof' dog. No matter how well trained a dog is, it will always pose a threat to kiwi."
Mr Graham said roaming dogs could devastate kiwi populations and should never be taken into areas where kiwi lived.
