Mother and son reunion marks special conservation milestone

7 April 2015 Mother and son reunion marks special conservation milestone

One Kiwi chick flies home from Oz to return another kiwi chick to the forest

An emotional surprise Kiwi family reunion marked the return last week of a very special kiwi chick to the inland Hawkes Bay forest from where its egg was taken. The 200th kiwi chick reared by the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust and its conservation partners was returned to the bush by Aucklander Lynda Holswich who was reunited with her own fledgling at the event.

Her son Aaron was flown home secretly from Australia to be with his mother for the release. Video of the reunion can be seen here.

The male bird, named Tanekaha (Strong Man), was incubated at Kiwi Encounter in Rotorua and reared in a predator-free area at the Cape Sanctuary south of Napier.

To mark the occasion the Trusts primary sponsor, Auckland-based Tasti Products, ran a Facebook competition asking followers with children overseas to suggest names for the bird in honour of their offshore offspring.

Ms Holswich said she involved a close colleague, with recently-diagnosed Hodgkins lymphoma, to help with the naming of the kiwi and decided on the name Tanekaha, which could also be applied to her sons.

Tasti secretly got in touch with Aaron and arranged to fly him home to be reunited with his mother at the Trusts property in the Maungataniwha Native Forest in Hawkes Bay. Ms Holswich said the reunion was emotional.

The last thing I expected was to see my son when the helicopter landed at Maungataniwha I didnt know whether to laugh, cry or run away, she said. It turned a special event into something absolutely amazing and meaningful for me. Its a day Aaron and I will remember for the rest of our lives.

Chairman of the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust Simon Hall said there had been an obvious connection between Ms Holswich and the kiwi.

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Mother and son reunion marks special conservation milestone