What an experience!!!
Last week as Sunny and I went on our anniversary travels down to Rotorua we had an experience that was unlike any others we have shared. As a part of our tour to Rainbow Springs, we went to the Kiwi Encounter just over the road.
There were with Sunny and I four spanish tourists and one excited guide. While we were in the room being talked to about the incubation room, we noticed cracks starting to appear in one of the eggs. Our guide had mentioned that one of the two eggs being incubated at the time was near hatching, it was at this time this young Kiwi decided to make his grand appearance.
Fighting his way out of his 'little' shell this young bird was certainly having a rough go. Kicking and rocking, he finally got his feet out of the shell and there he was. Covered in shell, and feathers looking more like wet fur, a brand new Kiwi, bread off of the captive pair. Number 109 hatched this season. A wonderful achievement considering that just over 10 years ago, only 5 chicks were hatched in captivity.
We mulled over some names for the rest of the tour, but one name stuck. You see, they will not know this little birds gender until his adult feathers are developed and they send samples away for DNA testing. We named him Kaitiaki, (or Guardian). For he is, a guardian of his species.
For the ladies. Think about this. The Kiwi egg when laid is about a third of the overall size of the entire kiwi body.
This programme which Kiwi Encounter are a part of called Operation Nest Egg (O.N.E) is helping bring our national iconic bird back from the brink of the extinction that we introduced it too. It was our own people coming from over seas to settle here that brought the predators that call the Kiwi food or even just kill because they are there. Settlers introduced the Stote to control the Rabbits. Then the Stotes ate the Kiwi too, then the Possims, and the pig hunting dogs do their share of damage.
It was a wonderful thing we watched as we saw Kiwi, without glass barriers foraging for food, digging and just simply currled up sleeping. Made me proud of our little flightless fluffball we call our national icon. Yeah it runs funny, looks weird and in some situations has a nasty temerment, but hey, thats what it is being a Kiwi!!! :)
Grow strong Kaitiaki, we will visit you now and again to see how you are going. And thank you for sharing with us that special moment.
For more information on Operation Nest Egg check out the link below.
http://www.savethekiwi.org.nz/BNZKiwiRecovery/OperationNestEgg/
There were with Sunny and I four spanish tourists and one excited guide. While we were in the room being talked to about the incubation room, we noticed cracks starting to appear in one of the eggs. Our guide had mentioned that one of the two eggs being incubated at the time was near hatching, it was at this time this young Kiwi decided to make his grand appearance.
Fighting his way out of his 'little' shell this young bird was certainly having a rough go. Kicking and rocking, he finally got his feet out of the shell and there he was. Covered in shell, and feathers looking more like wet fur, a brand new Kiwi, bread off of the captive pair. Number 109 hatched this season. A wonderful achievement considering that just over 10 years ago, only 5 chicks were hatched in captivity.
We mulled over some names for the rest of the tour, but one name stuck. You see, they will not know this little birds gender until his adult feathers are developed and they send samples away for DNA testing. We named him Kaitiaki, (or Guardian). For he is, a guardian of his species.
For the ladies. Think about this. The Kiwi egg when laid is about a third of the overall size of the entire kiwi body.
This programme which Kiwi Encounter are a part of called Operation Nest Egg (O.N.E) is helping bring our national iconic bird back from the brink of the extinction that we introduced it too. It was our own people coming from over seas to settle here that brought the predators that call the Kiwi food or even just kill because they are there. Settlers introduced the Stote to control the Rabbits. Then the Stotes ate the Kiwi too, then the Possims, and the pig hunting dogs do their share of damage.
Some of the Kiwi's that call Kiwi Encounter home will return to the wild. Others will remain there and become parents to future generations of the national bird.
It was a wonderful thing we watched as we saw Kiwi, without glass barriers foraging for food, digging and just simply currled up sleeping. Made me proud of our little flightless fluffball we call our national icon. Yeah it runs funny, looks weird and in some situations has a nasty temerment, but hey, thats what it is being a Kiwi!!! :)
Grow strong Kaitiaki, we will visit you now and again to see how you are going. And thank you for sharing with us that special moment.
For more information on Operation Nest Egg check out the link below.
http://www.savethekiwi.org.nz/BNZKiwiRecovery/OperationNestEgg/
posted by Wiremu Bayliss at
3:03 pm
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