Inside the citizen-led effort to return NZ’s beloved native bird to the capital

• A citizen-led initiative, the Capital Kiwi Project, is successfully reintroducing New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi, to Wellington's hills after an absence of over a century.
• The project recently celebrated a significant milestone with the release of seven more kiwi, bringing the total relocated to Wellington to 250 birds.
• Before their release, the shy, nocturnal birds were brought into New Zealand's Parliament for a celebration, allowing politicians and schoolchildren to see them up close.
• Historically, kiwi numbers have plummeted from an estimated 12 million to around 70,000 nationwide, declining by 2 per cent annually, making conservation efforts crucial.
• The initiative involves creating a 24,000-hectare protected area with over 5,000 stoat traps, resulting in a 90 per cent chick survival rate and contributing to New Zealand's goal of eradicating introduced predators by 2050.

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Endangered kiwi return to New Zealand capital in emotional homecoming after century-long absence