“It was an honour to handle and release him,” said Brian Thomas.
Into the wild : Eltham couple Audrey & Brian Thomas arrive with Squeak for his release onto Mt Taranaki.
Article and photo by SHARYN SMART – Published in the Taranaki Daily News – 22/05/2013
Eltham farmer Brian Thomas saw the reward for months of hard work when he released the kiwi chick Squeak on to Mt Taranaki earlier this month.
The young bird, which carries Mr Thomas’ own nickname, is the first chick from the Taranaki Kohanga Kiwi at Rotokare project to be released into the wild.
“I originally got involved with the project by being a volunteer, working on the predator fence at Rotokare,” Mr Thomas said.