Kiwi ingenuity has come to the rescue of a kiwi chick whose egg was found badly damaged by a Department of Conservation (DoC) worker.
A damaged egg was taken to Kiwi Encounter at Rainbow Springs in Rotorua two weeks ago where it underwent repairs which involved using masking tape to save the chick's life.
The egg had a large hole in its shell which required an unconventional repair method to ensure the chick's life wasn't in danger.
Rainbow Springs Kiwi Husbandry Manager Claire Travers says the cracked egg was very dangerous for the chick.
"The shell was broken through to the egg's internal membrane splitting it so the membrane had collapsed on top of the chick, which is very dangerous," she says.
"The shell is a vital structure as it maintains the correct moisture of the membrane, absorbing oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide - without it the egg is in danger of losing too much moisture."
Ms Travers cleaned up the egg and removed the broken shell before using another shell to cover up the hole, using masking tape to hold it in place.
She had concerns over whether the repair would work.
The egg was repaired with masking task that held another shell over the existing hole (supplied)
"To be honest I didn't think the chick had any chance of surviving because the hole in the shell was so big, I was absolutely over the moon when it hatched. It really gave me a thrill that against all odds we had saved one of our iconic Kiwi chicks," she says.
Eleven days after the chick's shell was repaired, she hatched, much to the excitement of the Kiwi Encounter team.
"The hatch itself was amazing with the part of the shell that was taped onto the egg actually mimicking the original shell and cracking in unison as if it was part of the existing egg," Ms Travers says.
The chick has been named Fissure, referring to the crack in its shell.
October is Save Kiwi Month where Kiwis for Kiwi and the Department of Conservation (DOC) are raising awareness of the plight of kiwi.
More information can be found at https://www.kiwisforkiwi.org/
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