UNKNOWN

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 81, 30 October 1939, Page 5

UNKNOWN

' CAPTIVITY w L are holding their in the district. Some months ' yotin g oneAvas killed by dogs /district, and' it was thatotliers had been seen The birds, were also reported the country behind Ruatoki. conies the story of the capture Maori pig hunter of a fullyfemale 'kiwi which laid an egg and subsequently esbird was taken by the hunter ißhe rough Omataroa district be]Ji To Teko. The Maori was returnirWafter a successful hunt, and stjnbled over the bird while hurryinj4n the dusk through a palch of velf dense bush. He was able to keep hip dog off and save the bird's life, -anM he brought his prize to his home wlfcre he placed it in a cage. ®onsiderable interest was taken in thllciwi by Maoris, many never having seen one of the birds, and there "Were manj' visitors. Ihe bird settled •down quite well., and the Maori children were kept busy digging worm? for it. Some days after its capture the kiwi surprised by laying an egg. The fltiwi's egg is extraordinarily large, bigger than a swan's egg, and this "formed a fresh attraction. However smaternal instinct is apparently not very highly developed in the kiwi, Jor one of the captor's children left fthe door of the cage open one night •-and the bird had vanished by mornring. It is, of course, an offence to have 'a kiwi, either alive or dead, in one's possession, so that the bird's escape was probably the best solution to the problem. The captor vvas probably unaware of the law, the fact that "lie saved the kiwi from his dogs entitles him to some praise.