HAWKE'S BAY'S KIWI

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 81, 22 April 1937, Page 7

HAWKE'S BAY'S KIWI

Dtpartmeat's Pfcrmiiiion Fot ItToBeKept CONDItlONS LAID DOWN -r.rST. it m Hawke's Ssy'S kiwi, fcdw at th© Hiwke'g Bay Acclimatisatiali Society 'g fsnn at Greenmeadows, is td tefltaih inth# custody of th# ' raagef, Mr. F. D. Kobsori, according to a communication from the tlnder-Secretary of the DepartSMBt of Xaternal Affairs, Mr. J. W. Hoeaan, Xeceived by the society. ▲ yousgex kiwi is also to remain at Ika f ara in fb» meantime, aUd th§ finai chapter of a long controveny bis fioW kefitt Written. Betidents o£ fiawke's Bay, who exptessed dsssatisf action at th© formcr deobic® of the department that the kiwi must be released, will be pleasea td hui iimt-tie'Mfd is jfco remain at Greenmeadows, wbere it niay b# seeU by visitors. Jat the kiwi is one of the few that can bo xeadily seen in th# Dominion, it is felt that th& decisioh of ffie depaffitaeirt in. penhitfihg it td xe&aiii i# ixi accotdtoce with the wishes of BWWi Bay xeSidefits. In hia lefcbex, Mr Heenan ptated that newspaper xeports of the corfespohdence between the department aiid. tljd society had not been Btated fairljv II# asked that the following letter* be pub^ lishedj giving the views of the depafiment. "As the officer had no knowledge df ihe contents of the newspapdr, report n&turally he was not in a position to' commea* ojt-it/' said Mr Heenan _ ih rflfpffe^ jo a telephdnio communication betw#ea the "E&rto'B Bhy Acdiimatisdtion Society and.» repreaentativ# df the DSpkrEmesb of Hite#hail Afftiri. 'I hav# fiojr had an oppdftunity ,#f readjng the xeport xeferred to. "It i* ateted that the kiwi' wa# brought to the society'* farin by a fafmet wifse dogs wdrfihd it ifi the busH. The haformatiOa supplied to tthis department jn youf letter of February 26, 1932, Was that the bird had been found in * eoaj. buaker . at. the wool scouririg works. On Harch lr 1932, you • wtfrO' Sdvised that a# JdWii- wer'e known to ecst in.' tbe Puketitiri diatrict «id the Sairekas it was coitsidettd that the bird shtredd be liberated. in a suitable place in one df these loealities anj ^otfc' society wds asked to ^rrahge' to har'e tbis dene. "On Jdaroh 9, 1932, you advised that th© kiwi #o wt be* liberated in one of the districts mentioned, indicating that. foii Sad thoh^t that ^fobabljr the deiision wdiifd be that wie bird should be sent to .the' sanctuary at Kapiti. "It was not until jfch© end of August, 1936, that this department had anj kf bli'ledge that your society had fbjtifted the decjsion conveyed, in spite df ycftir assurance that it would bfe dffect to. March 10, 1937, I addressed the iMloWibg letter .to you: — "I have to iSsfe# to tbe previous correspondenc'e and yeur interview .witb me on Febm&ffr 26 m fegSfd f6 the kiwis held by Jbiif jocidff at the gaffle farSi at 4MMnwawr i. I s&w h#T# t# Sdrise you tha# as the* result of tm inspeetion iSade By an.bfficer~ of thi# depSftmM, and b ▼iew of ihe ciroumstances, the Mdfi. Moimr Ms appf&Ved of the following: — (1) Mr F. D. Robson, the Hawke's Bay Accliiaatisation Society's ranger and cuxator, be allowed to hold the .(2) lEhobtpurs in which the bird will be shown to visitors be xestrictsd to. 8 td 10^ &m. and '3 te 6 p.m. A small charge for admission. iaay be made to see the bird ih ofder t& auy but those foafiy in-f terested froni disturbing it. Some ad-* diti©mal sbelter to be provided, in whicbi tbe Bkd can be shdwil to visitors in tbe shade and hot in direct sunligbt. (3) Mr Robson to furnish this departfnOUt with a sj3C-mOrrfc|rly feport giving details of Ms- obSertaiaOns, tbe first of thpse reports to be mad© hot later than Juff 1 nest. (4> The kiwi egg which is at preseni held foi* , extdbition purposes be xetained. (5) In the event of Mr Robson beiitg refnoved from hie present position tbe whole matter to be reeiewsd# (6) The question of th§ retentfon of ihe young" Idwi fo he held wer tcafil the bifd is old enotfgh to be sexod. ,fWil! you kindly forward at your earliest convenience your society's as-> suranc© that these conditions will he eomplied with, and that. the erection of .the sheltey mentioned will Be proceeded with at the earliest possible mofnent. "Will you please also advise me as soon as the shelter has been erected? * "The newspaper reports which ha?e appeaxed from' timo to time hare not put the position fairly, as far a» tMs deparinumt is concerlled.,, Mr Heenan eoncludes, "and I am giving your society the opportunjty of having the true facts published. This department .has nothing to hide and only asks for a fsdr statement. I am quite agreeable td this letter being published, and in fact ask that it be done."