Sunday 11^th of March marked a special day for Parua Bay Community,

4 wild kiwi were released onto Ross family land at the back of the Parau Bay Community centre, 400 people attended the kiwi release and got to see kiwi up close.

Todd Hamilton (Backyard Kiwi Project) explained kiwi physiology, psychology and sociology. He talked about the risks and threats facing kiwi in the 21^st century.

Most important we learnt:

Ground dwelling kiwi smell like a puppy

That our pet dogs LOVE the smell of kiwi

Any dog can kill a kiwi  –  even a shake by a curious puppy!

What we can do?

Keep or dogs in at night

Take the lead in areas where kiwi live

We heard about community pest control efforts in this area and the professional stoat trapping across the district. If you are a local and want to find out more about pest control in you backyard , contact us at info@backyardkiwi.org.nz

 

Special thanks to Caroline Mardon for photographs