Speedy kiwi races Mākara Peak Mountain biker

The magical encounter has been watched 10 million times on Capital Kiwi's Instagram and Facebook, with comments ranging from "Sonic the Hedgehog IRL!" to "I didn't know they were that big?"

Capital Kiwi Project founder Paul Ward explains how special this encounter is for Wellington.

“It's surreal to see this speedy kiwi capture attention around the world – go kiwi! The pride that the people of Pōneke can take in such encounters is immense.

"They represent the outcome of an epic amount of work from locals, iwi and landowners. What was a dream only seven years ago is now a reality. It shows what we can achieve when we work together around a shared purpose – looking after the animal we are named after.”

Watch the video from The Capital Kiwi Project below.

Kiwi had been extinct in the wild west of Wellington for over 150 years, before the Capital Kiwi Project worked with communities, iwi, landowners, and partners like Wellington City Council to bring them back to the city. 

Mākara Peak is one of the many hills in Pōneke where kiwis can roam freely, thanks to the Capital Kiwi Project network of 4,600 stoat traps covering 24,000 hectares, from Pariwhero Red Rocks to Porirua – an area bigger than Abel Tasman National Park. 

Around a quarter of that network is serviced by volunteers says Council's Mākara Peak Ranger Mark Kent. 

“Kiwi making their homes in Mākara Peak after many generations of absence is a sweet reward for the 25 years of volunteer mahi. As well as removing thousands of predators from the landscape, over 60,000 native trees have been planted on Mākara Peak. It's a restoration recipe of trees, traps and trails.”

Most of the North Island brown kiwi that have been released – mainly at Terawhiti Station – are not monitored or tracked. There are at least 140 kiwi living it up across the hills of Wellington, pairing up and successfully breeding. This is part of the mission – to build a wild, free-ranging kiwi population on Wellington’s back doorstep.

As well as Mākara Peak, kiwi have been sighted and heard on the edges of Karori, Broadmeadows and Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush!

Close encounters with kiwi are set to become more common. Videos like above are a good reminder for us to lay out the welcome mat for these manu making their homes again in Pōneke. 

Here are some tips to keep kiwi safe.

• When you’re out driving at night, keep in mind that kiwi are fast and can dash across the road. A kiwi can run at speeds of over 20kmph!
• Be cautious of kiwi when out and about with your dog. Take the lead in responsibly exercising your dogs, including keeping them on a lead in WCC reserves: Mākara Peak, the Skyline Track, and Karori and Mākara cemeteries. Keep your dog securely contained at night and report any roaming or missing dogs immediately.
• Be aware of kiwi in your backyard. Please control dogs at all times and make sure others do the same. If you see a kiwi, please let the team at Capital Kiwi know or if you find an injured or dead kiwi, please leave the kiwi where it is and immediately contact Capital Kiwi on 021 075 0301.

Find out more about kiwis through The Capital Kiwi Project.