A rare kiwi chick that hatched at a sanctuary on Sunday looks on track to join others of its sub-species in the wild once it reaches adulthood.
The Haast tokoeka hatched at the South Island West Coast Wildlife Centre in south Westland after incubating for 80 days. It is the first of its kind to hatch there.
A spokesperson, Bridget Wren, says the kiwi, named Okahu by local iwi, currently weighs about 288 grams.
Ms Wren says Okahu will be released when it grows bigger and weighs about one kilogram.
She says the kiwi has an 85% chance of survival in the wild if released then, compared to 5% if hatched and raised in the wild.
About 370 Haast tokoeka live on the West Coast, about half of them live in the Haast sanctuary.
Adult kiwi can protect themselves from predators but their eggs are now retrieved and incubated in specially designed facilities at the wildlife centre.
The chicks are then released onto creche islands on Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri, or the Orokonui ecosanctuary in Dunedin, before being released in the Haast kiwi sanctuary as adults.
