Zespri is proud to welcome two Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust chicks to the Zespri whānau.

Last month Zespri asked the public to help choose a name for a new chick via LinkedIn and Facebook and also asked Zespri people to submit their name suggestions.

One of the chicks has been named Kobe – which is a port in Japan where Zespri Kiwifruit is shipped to, while the second chick has been named Jack after Zespri employee Jacqueline (Jack) Abbot who passed away in 2018 and as well as being known for her cheeky nature, was a big supporter of the trust.

This year marks the seventh year of Zespri’s partnership with the Bay of Plenty’s Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust, a group of community volunteers assisting the kiwi population just beyond the kiwifruit heartland of Te Puke.

It recovers eggs from the forest, hatches them at the National Kiwi Hatchery in Rotorua, raises them at a crèche so they are a bit older and smarter and releases them into the pest-controlled area of Ōtanewainuku Forest.

Zespri has named several kiwis over the years with Kobe and Jack to join the Zespri crew which includes Toddy, Manawa, Koura, Izzy and Sonny who are all thriving at Ōtanewainuku Forest.

Zespri Head of Global Public Affairs Michael Fox says it’s fantastic to welcome Kobe and Jack to the Zespri whānau.

“We’re really proud to support the Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust which takes amazing care of our native kiwi and help to increase the survival rate of our most precious bird – which is also our fruit’s namesake.

“Not only does the trust help out our national bird, they also work extremely hard to improve biodiversity in the Ōtanewainuku Forest which is surrounded by kiwifruit orchards in Te Puke in the Bay of Plenty where 80 percent of New Zealand kiwifruit is grown," says Michael.

“As a volunteer organisation, we rely on the generosity of partners such as Zespri to help fund the latest transmitting gear for kiwi tracking, or helicopters to assist with kiwi recovery and hatching operations at the National Liwi Hatchery," says Ōtanewainuku Kiwi Trust David Brown.

"It’s fantastic to have this support and welcome two new Zespri-named kiwi chicks at Ōtanewainuku.”