Kiwi pukupuku / little spotted kiwi have been rediscovered in the wild on mainland Aotearoa for the first time in 50 years, shocking and delighting conservationists.
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.
