PKF has helped boost wild kiwi populations by proudly supporting the Kōhanga Kiwi strategy. Eggs that come from monitored wild kiwi are incubated and hatched at the Gallagher Kiwi Burrow. When the chicks are old enough to eat on their own, they are moved into a creche where they can grow until they reach the stoat-free weight of 1kg. At this age, they will be moved to where their original nests were to boost wild populations. PKF has supported the care of these chicks at the Napier Kiwi Creche and have had a number of kiwi in the PKF enclosure.
Since 2023, Save the Kiwi have overseen the translocation of more than 700 birds to their new homes, including Wellington, Nelson, and Waiheke. A recap of the 2025 translocation season can be found here. Save the Kiwi are currently at the beginning of the 2026 translocation season, and have moved kiwi off Motutapu Island back to the Hauraki-Coromandel peninsula for the first time and have begun translocating kiwi out of Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari to sites around the North Island.
Protecting kiwi in their own homes
Through the support of PKF, Save the Kiwi has also supported community pest control projects to ensure that kiwi are safe in their own homes. In areas with no invasive predator management, only around 5% of chicks born in the wild make it to adulthood. Trapping predators, especially stoats and ferrets, are one of the best ways to ensure that kiwi have safe habitat to thrive in.
As kiwi continue to spread and overlap with where humans live, they are more likely to encounter one of their biggest threats: dogs. Save the Kiwi has been advocating for responsible dog ownership and has been jointly running Kiwi Avoidance Training with the Department of Conservation. Over 3000 dogs undergo Kiwi Avoidance Training every year. This, along with responsible dog ownership practices, ensures that kiwi are safe in their own homes.