THE NATIONAL KIWI HATCHERY AOTEAROA

BRINGING A NATIONAL ICON BACK FROM THE BRINK

The kiwi bird is inexorably linked with New Zealand’s national identity. Its plucky resilience, distinctive appearance and deep cultural significance to the Indigenous Māori make it a natural fit for this vibrant nation’s cherished icon. But over the course of the 20th century, the kiwi’s ascension to symbolic stardom corresponded with a struggle for its very survival. Habitat loss and introduced predators saw populations drop below one million birds in the 1900s, putting the kiwi at risk of extinction.

In response to these mounting losses, the National Kiwi Hatchery opened its doors to New Zealand’s endemic kiwis in 1995. The facility expertly incubates and hatches kiwi eggs in a safe environment, increasing their 5% survival rate in the wild to 65%.

Today, the National Kiwi Hatchery is the largest, most successful kiwi conservation facility in the world. Leading the way in kiwi husbandry, egg incubation systems and chick rearing, the facility has successfully hatched over 1,800 birds.

With the nation’s beloved bird back on track, AKP will continue its partnership with the hatchery with plans to grow conservation efforts, raise awareness and improve the facility’s research and development capabilities.