Rare 'kiwi' spotted in New Zealand for first time in 50 years
The smallest of the kiwi species, the kiwi pukupuku (little spotted kiwi), was thought to only live in offshore islands and fenced predator-free sites, the Department of Conservation (DOC) said, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
However, a DOC-contracted hunter spotted the bird in a remote part of the South Island's West Coast. Tiny feathers were collected from the kiwi to confirm the bird was a kiwi pukupuku.
Kiwi Recovery Group leader Emily King said the discovery was almost miraculous. "The last known sighting of a kiwi pukupuku on the mainland was in 1978. Despite years of targeted searching, we hadn't found them - until now," she said.
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