Auckland Zoo's third kiwi chick of the season has hatched, with the moment the bird cracked its egg caught on camera by staff at the zoo.
The bird was hatched yesterday as part of Operation Nest Egg, which takes kiwi eggs and chicks from the wild and keeps them in captivity until they are big enough to be released back into the wild.
They are generally released when they reach around 1200 grams, before which they are reared in predator-proof sanctuaries.
When the zoo's latest edition is old enough to fend for itself it will be released on Rotorua Island, in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.
The first chick of the season was hatched on September 1.
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