FOR a dedicated worldwide internet audience, patience has finally paid off.
On a widely-and-intensely watched live stream the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa in New Zealand welcomed a fluffy new member to their whnau [family].
Cracking the record as the 2000th chick to hatch at the facility since it received its first egg in 1995, the chick's entrance into the world in the early hours of November 13 was no small feat.
With no egg tooth to aid the process, the chick had the exhausting job of kicking and pecking its own way out.
Starting with a few jiggles, the first signs on the live stream that the hatching was close was when the chick made a tiny hole in the air-filled sac inside the end of the egg, poking the pink tip of its beak through, and breathing air for the first time.
The chick then kicked and pushed against the shell wall until eventually it cracked open and was free. Shortly thereafter, the new chick started to find its way in its new environment using its long beak to find stability.
National Kiwi Hatchery manager Emma Bean said although the little kiwi is a bit camera shy, they have managed to get some photos.
"The 2000th kiwi is quite a vocal little chick and is really attached to its flatmate in the brooder box - they are always found cuddled up to each other," she told The Senior.
While the chick is showing interest in food, it has not quite eaten on its own yet but Ms Bean said "it won't be long now".
"It still has a little bit of yolk in its tummy to sustain him/her. Really, he is a text book chick and reaching all the right milestones."
The gender of the chick will be unknown for another few weeks until DNA tests are done.
"We are thrilled to give the public this insider view of the arrival of this rare chick," said Ms Bean.
"This is an important opportunity to raise awareness of a critically endangered species that is in rapid decline in the wild, and to learn about the important work the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa is doing to care for and protect our kiwi."
Having captured the hearts of people across the globe, the popularity of New Zealand's fluffiest new celebrity is sure to draw thousands of fans to the National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa.
Hatching season 'in full swing'
The hatchery is located at Rainbow Springs Nature Park in Rotorua, one of the key partners of the program.
Now is the best time to visit the hatchery as hatching season is in full swing.
New Zealand is losing three per cent of its unmanaged kiwi every year. Out of every 100 kiwi eggs laid in burrows in the forest, only five kiwi chicks will make it to adulthood.
Without ongoing support, experts estimate the brown kiwi will be extinct in the wild within two generations.
The National Kiwi Hatchery Aotearoa is the leading kiwi hatchery in the world, incubating and hatching about three-quarters of all kiwi incubated and hatched ex-situ in New Zealand.
Name the chick
The public is being invited to have their say on the name of the kiwi chick. Just click HERE and submit your suggestions!
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