Active
Downunder
is
proud
to
announce
the
addition
of
Tutoko
(“Tooty”)
to
our
staff,
or
should
we
say
“nest”!
Recently,
we
committed
to
support
the
important
conservation
work
at
Kiwi
Encounter
in
Rotorua,
NZ
with
a
corporate
contribution.
Our
donation
helps
to
fund
research
of
the
endangered
kiwi
at
the
conservation
center
and
made
us
an
official
sponsor
–
like
a
surrogate
foster
parent
-
to
Tooty.
Meet
Tooty! After
78
days
of
incubation,
Tooty
emerged
from her
shell
July
22,
2007
at
the
whopping
weight
of
333.2
grams.
From
the
beginning,
she
was
easy
to
distinguish
from
her
other
“hatch
mates”
– she
has
one
white
claw,
which
is
quite
unusual
for a
kiwi!
Tooty
lived at center
for about three months. Her
first
stop was
the
brooder
room
where
she was
gradually
introduced
to
her new diet. After she started gaining weight, she was
transferred
into
the
outside
world
–
the
Outdoor
Runs. She stayed
there
until
she
reached
“stoat-proof”
weight
–
about
800
grams, which is large enough to fend of predators. On October 25th, 2007 Tooty weighed 979 grams, and was returned
to
her
home
in
the
wild
–
Maungataniwho,
near
Napier,
NZ.
The
Quirky,
Incomparable
Kiwi Deep
in
the
underbrush
of
New
Zealand’s
dense
forest
lives
one
of
the
world’s
most
ancient
birds
–
dating
back
some
30
million
years!
It’s
no wonder the kiwi is New Zealand's national symbol. Secretive,
nocturnal
and
rarely
seen
in
the
wild,
the
kiwi
holds
all
sorts
of
biological
records.Most
birds
depend
on
keen
eyesight,
but
the
kiwi
doesn’t
see
well
at
night.
Instead
it
relies
on
a
highly
developed
sense
of
smell
and
acute
hearing.
Large
ear
openings
and
a
sensitive
bill
help
it
locate
food
in
the
soil
and
leaf
litter.
In
fact,
the
kiwi
is
the
only
bird
in
the
world
with
nostrils
at
the
end
of
its
beak!
As
it
walks,
it
taps
the
ground
with
its
bill
probing
the
soil
for
worms,
bugs,
berries
and
seeds
to
eat.
And
that’s
just
the
beginning
of
the
kiwi’s
countless
curiosities.
In
many
ways
the
kiwi
has
more
in
common
with
mammals
than
with
birds.
Its
body
temperature
is
lower
than
other
birds
and
its
bones
are
filled
with
marrow
just
like
a
human’s.
Its
feathers
are
long,
loose
and
hair-like,
and
it
digs
burrows
instead
of
nests.
It
has
no
tail
feathers,
but
does
have
whiskers
like
a
cat.
Adult
male
and
female
kiwi
typically
pair
for
life,
and
their
eggs
are
truly
remarkable.
They
are
huge
in
comparison
with
the
female
kiwi
–
one
egg
can
reach
up
to
20
percent
of
its
mother
weight
(that
would
be
like
a
120-pound
woman
giving
birth
to
a
24-pound
baby)!
After
the
egg
is
laid,
the
male
takes
over
parenting
duties.
He
incubates
the
egg
for
nearly
80
days.
The
young
kiwi
leaves
the
nest
after
only
a
few
weeks
–
making
it
a
prime
target
for
rats
and
stoats
in
their
native
habitat.
In
fact,
despite
its
status
as
New
Zealand’s
treasured
icon,
the
kiwi
is
an
endangered
species.
Only
5%
of
its
young
reach
adulthood
because
of
predators
and
habitat
loss.
Without
human
intervention,
the
kiwi
could
become
extinct
within
our
lifetime.
Kiwi
Conservation The
New
Zealand
Department
of
Conservation
has
developed
“Operation
Nest
Egg”
to
try
and
slow
the
decline
of
kiwi.
The
program
works
by
artificially
incubating
kiwi
eggs
and
raising
the
chicks
in
captivity
until
they
are
big
enough
to
defend
themselves
from
predators.
The
chicks
are
then
released
back
to
the
wild.
Rainbow
Springs
Nature
Park
in
Rotorua
has
been
involved
in
the
conservation
program
since
1995.
The
chicks
stay
at
Kiwi
Encounter
for
about
six
months
before
their
release.
The
conservation
facility
has
successfully
hatched
and
released
more
than
400
kiwi
chicks!
Research,
monitoring
and
“Operation
Nest
Egg”
have
helped
raise
the
survival
rate
of
the
kiwi
chicks
in
the
wild
to
60-70%.
Kiwi
Fun
Facts
The
kiwi
is
the
only
known
bird
to
have
nostrils
at
the
end
of
its
bill.
It
literally
sniffs
or
feels
out
its
food
a
bill-length
below
the
ground.
It
is
the
smallest
of
the
ratite
family
which
includes
the
ostrich
and
emu
Despite
its
awkward
appearance,
the
kiwi
can
outrun
a
human
The
kiwi
defends
itself
by
kicking
and
slashing
an
enemy
with
it
sharp
3-toed
feet
Its
diet
includes
earthworms,
all
types
of
invertebrates,
fallen
fruits
and
seeds
Its
life
span
is
thought
to
be
over
50
years
Kiwis
live
in
monogamous
pairs
most
of
their
lives
