For nearly 50 years, kiwi pukupuku / little spotted kiwi (Apteryx owenii) were thought to be extinct in the wild. In June 2025, DNA testing confirmed a kiwi found on the West Coast of the South Island was a kiwi pukupuku.
Nine kiwi pukupuku have now been confirmed and at least two pairs are breeding.
Two eggs were extracted for safe keeping and transferred to Willowbank Wildlife Centre in Christchurch. Once hatched, the chicks will be looked after until they reach a safe weight to be able to defend themselves from predators and then returned to the wild.
Kiwi pukupuku are the smallest of the five kiwi species, and extremely vulnerable to stoat predation.
Kiwi pukupuku / little spotted kiwi chick. Photo: DOC
The New Zealand Nature Fund are managing donations on behalf of the Department of Conservation, to assist with the recovery of kiwi pukupuku in the wild. 100% of public donations through NZNF go directly to on-the-ground conservation work – helping to ensure kiwi pukupuku have the best chance of survival.
Donations will be used to:
- support remote field work
- further research and testing of genetic diversity
- cover costs of egg incubation, chick rearing and relocation of chicks back into the wild
The rediscovery of kiwi pukupuku on mainland Aotearoa is one of the most significant conservation moments in decades – a species surviving against the odds.
Now, we must act quickly to protect them.
With your help, we can give kiwi pukupuku the future they deserve: a growing, self-sustaining population thriving once more in the forests of South Westland.
