LISTEN: Kiwi Chick Milestone

The Rotorua-based National Kiwi Hatchery celebrated a milestone event earlier this week, and Hatchery Manager Emma Bean came into The Hits Rotorua studio to have a chat with Paul.

Find out about the milestone, the current situation around kiwi across the country, their exciting new location and more!

In an egg-cellent achievement for Kiwi repopulation efforts, Ngāi Tahu Tourism’s National Kiwi Hatchery is celebrating the hatching of its 2,500th kiwi chick. This significant milestone comes hot on the heels of a cracking, record-breaking season in 2023, during which the hatchery successfully brought 153 kiwi chicks into the world.

The Rotorua-based National Kiwi Hatchery recently relocated to a purpose-built facility on the grounds of Agrodome, where expanded outdoor crèche facilities and improvements have allowed the team to significantly ramp up its ongoing conservation and repopulation efforts of the beloved national taonga.

Business Manager of National Kiwi Hatchery, Emma Bean says, “Welcoming the 2500th member into our whānau is a very proud moment for the facility, and testament to the dedication of our team in preserving the national manu of Aotearoa. We're excited to share this wonderful news with everyone!

"It’s an important opportunity to raise awareness of New Zealand’s threatened species that are in rapid decline in the wild, and to learn about the important work the National Kiwi Hatchery is doing to care for and protect kiwi."

Manuhiri (visitors) are invited to visit the new-and-improved facility and meet the new addition now, with official opening festivities taking place in March - more information to come.