A gorgeous white kiwi has been spotted going for a rare daylight stroll.
Filmed at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, rangers caught the early-morning scuttle through the bush with the hilarious caption: “When you're caught sneaking back to the burrow after a late night out!”
“Mapuna was spied by our rangers heading back to the burrow during the morning feed round. I wonder what Manawa [his friend] thought when he did return! 😆”
“Isn't he beautiful… even if he’s a bit late home 😊😍😍,” said one commenter.
“That’s like a unicorn 🥹✨,” said another.
Others compared Mapuna to a “wild marshmallow.”
Back in June, Pūkaha introduced us to Mapuna: “Meet our stunning white kiwi and brother of the famous Manukura. Snapped during his recent health check, he’s striking a pose and reminding us exactly why we do what we do - to protect taonga like him.”
“Even in tough times, the mahi doesn’t stop at Pūkaha 💚 From feeding birds and monitoring traplines to carrying out vital health checks, our dedicated team is always working behind the scenes to care for this special place.”
Just weeks earlier, the National Wildlife Centre had put out a plea for help with its finances, needing $600,000 to keep the doors open.
This morning, The Post reported Pūkaha has reached a “significant milestone” in its recovery. Transferring ownership of its $7.3m Te Wānanga Taiao o Manukura facility to Rangitāne Tū Mai Rā Trust, the deal will help clear Pūkaha’s multimillion-dollar debt.
It also means strengthening its partnership with Rangitāne (a Māori iwi), and securing a long-term future for the centre.
And with that, we’ll be eagerly keeping an eye out for more adorable Mapuna updates.
