New Zealand is rallying to save its iconic bird, the kiwi

First change: 05/01/2023 – 15:12Last change: 05/01/2023 – 15:10

3 min

Anyone who set foot on New Zealand soil a millennium ago would have discovered a veritable ornithological paradise, full of all kinds of feathers that have evolved without the shadow of a predatory mammal.

But the arrival of Polynesians in the 13th century and later Europeans changed the situation. Rats removed petrels and rales. Mice gobbled up all the seeds and berries, leaving little for the birds to peck at.

Possums, introduced for their fur, cleared trees. Rabbits reproduced so quickly that they devoured meadows and pastures. Stoats, imported to destroy rabbits, decimated populations of cave birds, thrushes, owls and quail.

As a result, the number of flightless New Zealand birds such as the kakapo and the kiwi has drastically decreased. According to the Ministry of Defense, there are only about 70,000 wild kiwis, responsible for protecting the country's natural and historical heritage.

Although the apterygiform is a true symbol of the country, few New Zealanders have seen the bird in the wild, with its long beak, brown feathers and wings too small to fly.

But thanks to more than 90 nationwide initiatives created to protect it, its population is growing again. Among them is the Capital Kiwi Project, a charity that has provided millions of New Zealand dollars through government grants and private donations.

“Special Bond”

In New Zealand, “We have a special bond with Kiwis,” founder and project manager Paul Ward explains to AFP.

Kiwis are “at the heart of Maori mythology”. “Our sports teams, our rugby teams, our defense teams and even when we go overseas, they call us Kiwis.”

“They're strong, tough, adaptable – all values ​​associated with New Zealanders. But most of us have never seen a Kiwi.”

According to Paul Ward, wild kiwis disappeared from the Wellington region about a century ago. So, they worked steadily to save them, first attacking their natural predators. Then they taught the local dogs to stay away from them.

The group also declared war on stoats because an adult kiwi can defend itself against them with its strong legs and sharp claws, something a chick can't, Ward explains.

They set more than 4,500 traps and captured 1,000 stoats in an area equivalent to about 43,000 football fields in the hills around Wellington.

In November 2022, Ward explains, the number of these predators has been reduced enough to allow the release of the first group of kiwis. School in Wellington.

A hush fell over the crowd as the first bird was released in front of 400 people who had never seen kiwis before, says Paul Ward.

“Our Duty”

Regular monitoring shows that this first generation performs well. Ward explains that they put on weight after two months in freedom, “and they have plenty of food in these mountains.”

Over the next five years, the project aims to release 250 birds and introduce their characteristic cries into the daily lives of residents of the capital's suburbs.

“It is our duty to take care of the animal that gave us our name,” he feels. Otherwise “we deserve to be renamed fools.”

© 2023 AFP