The kākāpō health crisis is stable, with no further cases of aspergillosis diagnosed, and seven hand-reared chicks have been successfully released in the wild, in episode 21 of the Kākāpō Files.

Seven hand-reared kākāpō chicks have been released into the wild on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, where they are doing well.

They are the oldest kākāpō chicks from this bumper breeding season. There are currently 72 living kākāpō chicks.

There are no new deaths in the aspergillosis disease outbreak which has claimed the lives of two adults and five chicks. Staff from the Kākāpō Recovery Programme at the Department of Conservation and zoo vets around the country are playing a waiting game, as a number of chicks and adults continue to be treated for the severe infection.

DOC is increasingly confident that they have identified all sick birds, as growing numbers of kākāpō mums sent to vet hospitals for CT scans are returning to Whenua Hou with clean bills of health.

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