PM visits frontline of fight to save kiwi

He’s a sheep farmer from Dipton, but Prime Minister Bill English looked right at home as he cradled a kiwi chick in Rotorua yesterday.

English was visiting Rainbow Springs to learn about the park’s kiwi conservation work.

Donning a blue park jacket, the PM cradled the tiny chick, named Empy, which hatched 24 days ago in the Maungataniwha native forest.

Ngai Tahu Tourism chief executive Quinton Hall said it was fantastic to have the Government’s support for kiwi conservation.

“To have the Prime Minister visit and experience this and hold a kiwi chick is great.”

Rainbow Springs has been operating for 85 years.

The park was awarded $630,325 from the Tourism Growth Partnership fund this month to build a state-of-the-art kiwi facility.

“Our goal is to provide the best kiwi viewing experience in the world and make Rainbow Springs the place to see and learn about kiwi.

“As our national bird, the kiwi has a special place in Aotearoa, and we are proud to be able to play a part in ensuring its future.”

Wild kiwi numbers currently sit just below 70,000 and kiwi numbers fall by 2 per cent each year.

Through the Operation Nest Egg programme, Rainbow Springs supports the Kiwis for Kiwi Trust and aims to increase all kiwi species by 2 per cent each year, within five to 15 years.