“These taonga have grown in numbers within the safety of our fence to the point where they can now bolster the populations of other sanctuaries,” Ledington said.
It was the second time Zealandia had sent kiwi to Cape Sanctuary, after it translocated 15 kiwi last year.
“Our team have enjoyed watching the new kiwi pukupuku settle in this past year – their reflector bands make them very easy to identify on trail camera,” Cape Sanctuary general manager Rachel Ward said.
“They have been seen mixing and mingling with the original population right across the 130ha enclosure.”