In 2006, a pack of pig-hunting dogs, uncontrolled by their owner, went on a rampage in the area of Kauri Mountain.   They killed 23 rams in just a few hours.  They also killed two kiwi – that we know of.  Two transmitted kiwi – Pete and Matakohe – were found “dogged” at the same time.

Kauri Mountain is the home to 2 kiwi listening stations, where volunteers listen for kiwi on an annual basis, and report their findings back to a national database.  Previous years on Kauri Mountain’s western flank, kiwi were so prolific that one listener even saw two kiwi in the road one night whilst he was listening for their calls.

In June of 2006, after the pig dogs had attacked, listening for kiwi was very hard going.   The dogs  and their owner had moved out of the area, but we knew that the two dead monitored kiwi were probably only an small percentage of the total kiwi the dogs had killed.

The first night (of four nights of listening) our volunteer heard not a single kiwi.  The second night, they thought they heard one male.  The third night – still no kiwi calls.  Six hours of listening in the cold and the dark – and only one kiwi call the entire time.  This was fairly conclusive evidence -the dogs had made a severe impact on the kiwi population in this area.

On the fourth and last night, in the second hour of listening – when our listener had almost completely given up – a male kiwi called.   And no sooner had the male begun his call, than a female cut him off with her cry.   So at least there was hope.

By 2008, a total of 25 kiwi calls were heard at this same listening post on Kauri Mountain.   And in 2009, the count was up to 36!  Many of which were kiwi “couples” calling to each other.

The kiwi thrive in this area – with a little assistance from operation nest egg and with predator trapping – and by ensuring that dogs are not allowed off-leash!