A rare white kiwi chick that was born at New Zealand’s Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre on 1 May, weighing 250 grams, has been named Manukura by elders from the Rangitane o Wairarapa iwi. Manukura means “of chiefly status”.
Rangitane chief executive Jason Kerehi said tribal elders saw the white chick as a “tohu” or “sign” of new beginnings. “Every now and then something extraordinary comes along to remind you of how special nature is,” Kerehi told the New Zealand Herald.
Kiwi are flightless birds found only in New Zealand. The kiwi is a national symbol of the country and the term “Kiwi” is used all over the world as the colloquial nickname for New Zealanders. Milford Sound represents New Zealand in the New7Wonders of Nature.