Zespri whanau welcomes two more kiwis

International kiwifruit marketer Zespri has welcomed two Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust chicks to the Zespri whānau.

In January this year Zespri asked the public to help choose a name for a new chick via LinkedIn and Facebook and also asked Zespri people to submit their name suggestions. One of the chicks has been named Kobe after a port in Japan associated with the kiwifruit trade, while the second chick has been named Jack after Zespri employee Jacqueline (Jack) Abbot who passed away in 2018.

This is the seventh year of Zespri’s partnership with the Bay of Plenty’s Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust, a group of community volunteers assisting the kiwi population near the kiwifruit heartland of Te Puke. It recovers eggs from the forest, hatches them at the National Kiwi Hatchery in Rotorua, raises them at a crèche so they are older and smarter and releases them into the pest-controlled area of Ōtanewainuku Forest.

Zespri has named several kiwis over the years with Kobe and Jack to join a Zespri crew which includes Toddy, Manawa, Koura, Izzy and Sonny – all of whom are thriving at Ōtanewainuku Forest.

Zespri Head of Global Public Affairs Michael Fox says it’s fantastic to welcome Kobe and Jack to the Zespri whānau.

“We’re really proud to support the Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust which takes amazing care of our native kiwi and help to increase the survival rate of our most precious bird – which is also our fruit’s namesake.

“Not only does the trust help out our national bird, they also work extremely hard to improve biodiversity in the Ōtanewainuku Forest which is surrounded by kiwifruit orchards in Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty where 80 percent of New Zealand kiwifruit is grown.”

Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust David Brown says, “As a volunteer organisation, we rely on the generosity of partners such as Zespri to help fund the latest transmitting gear for kiwi tracking, or helicopters to assist with kiwi recovery and hatching operations at the National Liwi Hatchery.

“It’s fantastic to have this support and welcome two new Zespri-named kiwi chicks at Ōtanewainuku.”