Whakat¯ane shows we can have kiwis in our backyards
Wellington can take heart from Whakata¯ ne, which grew its kiwi population from eight to 300 – and duplicating the project in the capital is not a pipe dream.
In 1999, the unexpected discovery of eight kiwi in Whakata¯ ne prompted a mass predator control effort, and the reward was a population of hundreds.
Whakata¯ ne Kiwi Trust volunteer Neil Hutton says Capital Kiwi, who want to bring kiwi back to urban Wellington, have the potential to have the birds roaming in residents’ backyards.
‘‘If you just look at the Polhill Restoration Trust, it’s already happening with other species.’’
Hutton said where he lived near the bush in Whakata¯ ne, he was able to hear kiwi most nights.
‘‘Even though you might not see them or hear them all the time, they’re here.’’
The Whakata¯ ne Trust has now trademarked Whakata¯ ne as the kiwi capital of the world.
It took hard work to bring numbers up, and their area included 84 kilometres of trapline, all checked by volunteers.
‘‘One of the benefits of having the kiwi trapping so close to town is we’ve got so many volunteers.
‘‘Obviously, the human population does present a risk to kiwi . . . things like roads, cars and pets like dogs,’’ Hutton said. ‘‘The growth for kiwi from eight to 300 . . . that outweighs the risk.’’
Wellington had the resources and people to make it work too.
Hutton said their focus now was to do more to remind people they were sharing their neighbourhood with kiwi.
The Remutaka Forest Park Trust also reintroduced a dozen brown kiwi into a 1000-hectare area north of Wellington in 2006. It now has more than 130 kiwi.