Abercrombie & Kent present ‘Kent’, the newly hatched chick at National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa

Abercrombie & Kent present ‘Kent’, the newly hatched chick at National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa
Edited by Travel Weekly


Abercrombie & Kent guests now get the chance to meet “Kent”, newly hatched kiwi chick in a behind-the-scenes tour at the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa.

A&K has a long-established partnership with the hatchery as part of its worldwide philanthropy projects for the ongoing protection of wildlife and community.

These unique animals can be adopted by any person or organisation wanting to follow the journey of a chick from egg to hatch and through the different parts of the hatchery. Foster parents get to name their chick and receive regular updates about its growth and development.

Kent is now living outside in the hatchery’s purpose built, predator-free kiwi creche, and is soon to be released into Maungataniwha Forest, where she will be large enough to escape predators.

It is estimated that New Zealand loses two per cent of the kiwi population every year. The Hatchery works to bring the icon of New Zealand back from the brink of extinction since 1995, and a visit to the hatchery is a must-do for travellers to New Zealand who are looking to gain an unforgettable insight into conservation.

Kiwi Hatchery experience.

Kiwi Hatchery experience.

Kent the Kiwi

History as an egg
Kent’s egg was laid in the Maungataniwha Forest where she was partially incubated by her father. In May, she was lifted from her burrow and transferred safely to the National Kiwi Hatchery. Her egg was carefully washed and processed by the team and put into an incubator, where she was estimated to be 63 days old and 412.8 grams.

Life as a chick
Kent hatched late at night on 25 May. It took her five days to break free of eggshell, after which she spent a few days resting in the hatch room before moving into the brooder room. For the first five days of her life, she was sustained by her yolk before starting to eat a special diet made just for kiwis.

She instinctively knew how to find food and has since been practising probing: kiwis use their long beaks to tap the ground while they walk, probing the soil for prey.

Recently, Kent graduated from the brooder room and is now living outside in the Kiwi Hatchery’s purpose built, predator-free kiwi creche. She is making excellent gains in weight and when Kent reaches one kilogram in weight, she will be released back into Maungataniwha Forest on the east coast.

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