Fourteen kākāpō chicks have hatched in wild nests, where they are being cared for by mums and foster mums. More than a hundred viable fertile eggs have already been laid, with more expected in the next couple of weeks. On Whenua Hou, fertile eggs are cared for in incubators to keep them safe and are returned to nests to hatch. DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme has placed a Smart Egg in the nest of Kākāpō Cam star Rakiura, to alert her to the imminent arrival of a pipping egg whose hatching should delight the many fans watching the live video feed. Pukenui/Anchor Island is home to the most kākāpō chicks so far but kākāpō rangers expect Whenua Hou to catch up soon.

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In this episode:

00:00 – Introduction
01:15 – Night-time visit to Rakiura’s nest
07:26 - The egg room
11:43 - Seabird danger to eggs
13:05 - Smart Eggs
14:54 – Nest and egg updates
20:20 - Closing credits…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details