Atarau Sanctuary: predator-free kiwi crèche and restoration project

Atarau Sanctuary provides predator-free sanctuary for Paparoa Wildlife Trust’s roroa / great spotted kiwi chicks, who are hatched at Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and then live in the sanctuary until they are old enough to fend for themselves out in the wild. While they are in our care, we observe and listen to them through passive bioacoustic monitoring to learn as much as we can.

Atarau Sanctuary is the first land-based pest-proof crèche specifically for kiwi in the South Island and the only facility in New Zealand for roroa to take sanctuary until they are big enough to head out into the world. Since opening in 2010, we have given sanctuary to 53 roroa chicks.

With an extensive planning programme in the sanctuary, and more land set aside for reforestation, we are also working towards long term and widespread regeneration of native forest.

The sanctuary is not open to the public, but we hold an open day each year and also host school group visits by arrangement.

We have set up our givealittle page in response to requests about donating to the sanctuary. Donations will be used to help cover the costs of supplies we need to run our planting program and monitor our resident roroa and other native species. Thank you for your interest in the sanctuary!