Over 40 years of hard work by Moturoa Island families paid off on Friday when 21 kiwi were returned to Opua.
Photo: Kiwi arrive at Waitangi led by kaumatua Ngāti Kawa Taituha and son Raaken. Photo: Dean Wright, Kiwi Coast
Kiwi were moved from the mainland to several islands in the Bay of Islands in the late 1980s for safekeeping. This included Moturoa Island which received seven kiwi saved when land was being cleared for pine planting.
This is the first time kiwi have been returned to the mainland from any island in the Bay, making it an extra special occasion.
Speaking on behalf of Moturoa Island families, Karen Asquith said “After 40 years of safeguarding these precious kiwi, we are honoured to help bring them back to the mainland, back to Ngāti Kawa and Ngāti Rahiri.
We have planted over 60,000 native plants, sustained regular pest control, created ponds and fenced off forested areas. As a result, the kiwi have bred well on the island and now number in their hundreds – it’s time to return the first of them home.”
Mana whenua Ngāti Kawa, Ngāti Rāhiri and Ngāti Torehina worked in partnership with the island families, Bay Bush Action, Kiwi Coast, the Northland Regional Council and the Department of Conservation to bring about the kiwi translocation.
Ngaire Sullivan with Whitu the kiwi, Catherine Langdon and her son Oak, Ngati Kawa and his son Te Kawaana. Photo: Dean Wright, Kiwi Coast
Kaumatua Ngāti Kawa Taituha, his son Raaken and Stella Kake from Ngāti Kawa and Ngāti Rahiri travelled to Moturoa on Thursday, overseeing the smooth transition of kiwi from the island to the mainland .
Mr Taituha led the welcoming of the kiwi back to the mainland on Friday evening at a special whakawātea and naming ceremony at Waitangi. Over 130 people joined in the occasion from the Opua and Paihia community to celebrate the return of the kiwi and wish them well in their new homes in the Opua State Forest.
The release of the 21 Northland brown kiwi back into the forest was a dream come true for the Bay Bush Action Trust, whose decade plus efforts to reduce animal pests and help keep dogs controlled, have made the area safe for kiwi once more.
Bay Bush Action Trust deputy chairwoman Catherine Langford said “We have been leading pest control in the Opua forest for over a decade, working with an extensive network of community volunteers and professional trappers to keep rats and possum at a minimum. Our goal has always been to restore the flora and fauna to a level that will support native species to thrive here. To receive these kiwi into our care is an incredible privilege. We are honoured to be bringing them home and will do our utmost to care for them.”
Moturoa the kiwi – the first caught and the first released during the translocation. Photo: Dean Wright, Kiwi Coast
Bay Bush Action named the translocation ‘Operation Manawaora – coined by the Gmuer Hornell family who donated funds to purchase one of the AI cameras used for monitoring pests and wildlife: “Manawaora. Hope. We need hope in our current state of the world on all levels. And your achievements in Opua Forest sure gives our family hope.”
Ms Langford continued “Through this operation different communities, schools, agencies, and a wide range of committed volunteers have been brought together – everyone has played a critical role in the success of the translocation and it is truly humbling to see. Every single person who took part today will continue to play an important role in ensuring the future safety of these kiwi through trapping on their own land and sharing the message among friends and whanau to keep their dogs safe on leads and never left to roam.”
Translocation technicalities were led by Kiwi Coast, with support from the Northland Regional Council and DOC, ensuring that the kiwi wellbeing and safety were paramount throughout the entire operation.
Kiwi Coast Coordinator Ngaire Sullivan said “In true Kiwi Coast style this has been a wonderful collaborative team effort, bringing together hapū, landowners, community and government organisations for a very special result. Each kiwi was caught by a trained kiwi handler, checked by two vets, transported in specially made transfer boxes and released by handlers into prepared burrows in Opua State Forest. It’s a real success story and we are thrilled to have been able to help make it happen.”
“Each kiwi had a slightly different story and personality, which was reflected in the names bestowed upon them by hapū, Moturoa Island shareholders, local schools and the Bay Bush project. This included the first kiwi caught and released being named “Moturoa” and another was named “Whitu” to honour the seven kiwi originally brought to the island.”
Bronwyn Bauer-Hunt, DOC Pēwhairangi Operations Manager named one of the adult female kiwi “Pēwhairangi”. She commented “It has been great to work alongside hapū, community and kiwi specialists from Kiwi Coast and NRC to help translocate these 21 kiwi. As this is the first time that kiwi have been returned to the mainland in the Pēwhairangi / Bay of Islands area it was a very special day for all of us. The partnership will continue as we plan the next steps together.”
