Kiwis Flying Kiwi
Community Support
Kiwi can fly—well they did recently, with the assistance of a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules.
Handle with care
Challenged by the logistics of transporting 30 kiwi over 650 km from Auckland to Masterton, the Department of Conservation (DOC) called on a number of organisations to assist, including the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Caught on Little Barrier Island, the kiwi—15 male and 15 female—were flown in two flights to Whenuapai by a civilian helicopter, on the morning of 7 May 2010. A C-130 Hercules from No. 40 Squadron then provided a swift and direct transfer from RNZAF Base Auckland to Hood Aerodrome in Masterton.
The Air Force Hercules landed at Hood Aerodrome with its precious cargo at around 1.30pm, to a huge welcome group. Pukaha Mt Bruce Board chairman, Bob Francis invited everyone to welcome the birds.
RNZAF family lend a hand
"We want to be able to share this historic occasion with the community, who have made this possible. These birds will help form the breeding foundation for a planned population of 500 kiwi at Pukaha," he said.
A kiwi from the Pukaha, Mt Bruce National Wildlife Centre was also on hand to greet the newcomers, along with the Pukaha Mt Bruce Board; DOC; representatives from BNZ Save the Kiwi Trust, who sponsor kiwi recovery nationwide; and members of the public. After a brief photo opportunity, the kiwi were driven to Pukaha Mt Bruce and released into the local reserve forest.
Shortly after the kiwi departed, school children and the local community were invited to board the C-130 Hercules for a quick tour, prior to the aircraft returning to Whenuapai.
Go kiwi
"The RNZAF had the capacity and expertise to transfer this number of kiwi within the required timeframe and directly from Auckland, which reduced stress on the birds. The whole Air Force team involved in the transfer enjoyed the experience of transporting the biggest contingent of kiwi ever. We were proud to be ‘Kiwis flying kiwi’ and supporting DOC in this worthwhile project," said Squadron Leader Kavae Tamariki.
From ‘the resting place of the winds’ in the beautiful Hauraki Gulf to ‘the place of strong winds’ in the glistening Wairarapa—the RNZAF played a valuable role.
Background
Reintroducing kiwi and other rare native species to the forest is part of a major initiative by the Pukaha Mt Bruce Board, DOC, and community and local councils, to restore the Pukaha forest.
Nineteen captive-bred kiwi have been released into the Pukaha Forest since December 2003. They first bred successfully in 2005. So far nine eggs have been collected from the Pukaha forest and hatched in captivity, with the resulting chicks reared in captivity until they are big enough to be released into the forest. Prior to the transfer there were 24 birds in the forest—15 males and 9 females. The introduction of the birds from Little Barrier Island will help enable the Pukaha forest population to be self-sustaining and robust enough to withstand threats that kiwi face in the wild. It will also expand the genetic diversity of the Pukaha kiwi population.