On the first day of their release, our kiwis were blessed at the local marae and proudly shown off to the big crowd that had assembled from far and wide to see these wonderful North Island Brown Kiwi. Since these are nocturnal birds, very few of the school children and members of the general public present had actually seen a live kiwi up close before. Here they were able to see six kiwis! Then they were "bagged" for their journey up into the Remutaka Ranges for their first taste of freedom since they were hatched. This photo shows the first of our kiwis being released into the wilderness that evening. Members of the Trust had prepared temporary burrows for each bird in the primary release area.
Photo credit: Melody McLaughlin