“Snoopy” our one legged North Island Brown kiwi died on Wednesday 20 June 2007. Snoopy was 15 years old and had lived with Robert and Robyn Webb at their home since he was only 3 months old.

Snoopys death was a real shock for Robert and Robyn as Snoopy was like a member of their family. Snoopy would call out to them when they arrived home at night and wait to be let out on the grass to probe for worms and grubs. The Webb’s have not had a holiday in years as they couldn’t just leave Snoopy with anyone.

Fertile eggs are recovered from the burrows of wild kiwi approximately 45  to 50 days into the 75 day incubation.  Incubation, hatching and rearing of the young kiwi is completed in captivity. 

Of all the kiwi hatched and reared in the wild only 5% make it to adulthood.  Most of the 95% of birds that are killed, die within the first 6 weeks of life.  Many of these birds are killed by predators such as stoats, ferrets, weasels, ferrel cats and roaming dogs.

On 24 December 2005 a Southern Royal Albatross was picked up from Ripiro Beach near Glinks Gully on the west coast of Northland, New Zealand.

The white heron had flown into the back yard of a family in the Ruakaka area where he ate all the fish in the goldfish pond.  The family let him as they were so amazed at having such a beautiful visitor.  They could also see that the bird had an injured left foot and was not weight bearing on that leg.

The 2010 / 2011 chick season has seen quite a number of Morepork chicks come into the Centre.  Robert Webb, Centre Manager, says that the very hot summer conditions are the cause of the problem.