Today’s photo of the week is of DOC’s Chris Goulding from the Motueka Office holding a great spotted kiwi/roroa.
The great spotted kiwi is the largest of our kiwi species and can be found around the top of the South Island.
This week two great spotted kiwi were released in the Flora Valley area of Kahurangi National Park. The birds are the first of up to 12 kiwi being relocated to increase the genetic diversity of the Flora Valley population.
Volunteers from Friends of Flora will monitor these birds regularly to ensure they stay in the protected area and establish their own territories. They will also monitor how they interact with the existing population of kiwi and their breeding success.
More information is available on the DOC website.
DOC do an awesome job and get a real hard time sometimes and sometimes I don’t envy you but at times like this – total envy, how rewarding too!