NZ government pledges millions to save the kiwi

There are fewer than 8,000 western brown kiwi among a total kiwi population of around 70,000

New Zealand is to give millions of dollars to protect the kiwi following stark warnings that the country's national bird could become extinct.

While budget announcements are usually dull affairs, New Zealand's conservationists have expressed their delight that the government is to set aside NZ$11.2m ($8.3m; £5.3m) to halt the worrying decline in kiwi numbers. According to TV3, Conservation Minister Maggie Barry says more needs to be done to save the "famous and precious" bird which makes up part of the country's identity. "If we don't do more now to halt their decline, we risk losing wild kiwi forever," she told the New Zealand Herald.

The flightless birds are at danger from human-introduced pests such as stoats, weasels and ferrets, and part of the new funding will be spent on trapping. Dogs are also a factor in untimely kiwi deaths to predators, which number around 27 every week. Last year, the Department of Conservation said that at the current rate of decline, the bird would be wiped out on the NZ mainland within a generation.

The Kiwis for kiwi charity say the extra funding will be just part of the battle to save the national bird, with around 90 community-led groups to the fore. "These groups are making a huge difference and we know where the work is being done, kiwi numbers are increasing," Michelle Impey said. Matthew Lark of the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust told the BBC that there are fewer than 8,000 western brown kiwi in the wild, and that the budget announcement would allow investment in projects that will increase numbers, and allow them to export chicks reared to a predator-resistant weight to under-pressure and isolated populations. Maungatautari ranger Mark Lammas said he was "absolutely wrapped" at the government pledge, which came after Prime Minister John Key was made aware of the kiwi's plight last year. "It appears we have been heard and the government has responded accordingly. Great news for kiwi!" he said.

Once the birds reach 1 to 1.2 kg (2.2 to 2.5 lbs), they're large enough to resist predators

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