The pitter-patter of kiwi feet is just around the corner with the first egg of the season arriving at the Crombie Lockwood Kiwi Burrow.
On the first day of spring, the staff at the Crombie Lockwood Kiwi Burrow got a bit of a surprise with the arrival of the first egg of the season. The last breeding season finished much later than usual and now, after just enough time for staff to take a breath, the 2021/22 season has kicked off on September 1st.
This special egg came from Cape Sanctuary where a male bird known as “Wheki” had abandoned his nest. The Cape Sanctuary team located the burrow and our team assisted in retrieving the egg and delivering it to our kiwi crèche in Napier (which is currently in the off-season but opened up especially!) where it warmed up and stayed overnight in an incubator.
The following morning, the egg was delivered to the Crombie Lockwood Kiwi Burrow just out of Taupō where the team is working within level 3 restrictions to give this wee bundle of joy the best start possible. Once the chick has hatched and is up on its feet, it will return to Cape Sanctuary.
