Deputy Mayor Bill Cashmore says that naming one of the kiwi recently released in the Hunua Ranges was a special honour.
He named the kiwi Herbert, in memory of his late grandfather, who farmed in the Hunua area.
“My grandfather always recognised the beauty of the Hunua Ranges and in the 1970s was very much involved in the movement to stop the deforestation of the area to protect it as a habitat for native birds,” says Councillor Cashmore, who is a strong supporter of pest control programmes in the forest.
“These programmes have been very successful,” he says. “From being in a position where no kōkako chicks fledged in early 2015, we had record seasons in 2016 and 2017."
“Pest numbers are now low enough in the Kōkako Management Area to allow the brown kiwi to be released.”
Cr Cashmore praised the efforts of iwi, volunteers, neighbours and Auckland Council staff involved in the project.
Herbert the kiwi was released with several other birds in March and April, as part of an Auckland Council programme to return kiwi to the Hunua Ranges.
