Conservation
The North Island Brown Kiwi is endangered, per the IUCN Redlist, with the major threat coming from predators, such as dogs, cats, and stoat Mustela erminea. 94% of chicks die before breeding in areas where mammalian pest control is not carried out. It has an occurrence range of 38,400 km2 (14,800 sq mi), with a population, estimated in 2000, of 35,000.
Nationwide studies show that on average only 5 per cent of kiwi chicks survive to adulthood. However, in areas under active pest management, survival rates for North Island Brown Kiwi can be far higher. For example, prior to a joint 1080 poison operation undertaken by DOC and the Animal Health Board in Tongariro Forest in 2006, 32 kiwi chicks were radio-tagged. 57% of the radio-tagged chicks survived to adulthood. Thanks to ongoing pest control, the adult kiwi population at Tongariro has almost doubled since 1998.
Read more about this topic: North Island Brown Kiwi
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