Fiordland Kiwi Diaries

Description

Down in the remote wilderness of Fiordland, kiwi are in trouble. Over three years, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation rangers monitored 34 chicks in the rugged Shy Lake area. Not a single one survived. Most were killed by stoats. For the population to stand a chance, kiwi chicks need time to reach safe weight. The Shy Lake area is rough, remote, vast and wet, making trapping in the area impossible. Without large-scale control, stoat and rat numbers grow rapidly, endangering kiwi survival. In 2020, the department aerially applies 1080 bait in the area for the first time to knock back introduced predators and buy time for kiwi to grow. Fiordland Kiwi Diaries brings you along with the rangers as they monitor the kiwi before and after the operation and give their all to save New Zealand’s most iconic bird.