58 On Cron Motel

58 On Cron Motel in association with Franz Josef Wildlife Centre invite you to watch 'On Cron's Progress.

‘On Cron’

Our 58th Chick hatched since opening, named for Anne and Richard at 58 on Cron Motel for their fantastic ongoing support!
On Cron’s egg was rescued from the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary on October 19th 2012. The egg weighed 377.5g on arrival and the embryo inside was estimated to be 61 days through the 78 day incubation period. On Cron’s egg was carefully washed in a disinfectant solution before being transferred to one of our warm, safe incubators. On Cron’s egg was closely monitored by our Kiwi Ranger’s throughout the remaining 17 days of incubation at the WCWC. On Cron hatched at 10.30am on Saturday 3rd November and was the 10th Rowi kiwi to hatch for the 2012/13 breeding season. On Cron has a beautiful crown of white feathers on its forehead! On Cron took a total of 6 days to hatch and weighed a healthy 313.4 grams. We kept On Cron cozy and warm in one of the incubators for the first two days while On Cron learnt to crouch and shuffle. Since then, On Cron has grown to become a quiet, alert and inquisitive chick and has been busy exploring the brooder and snuffling around in the soil. On Cron will stay in a brooder at the WCWC until one month of age before moving out to one of the special pre-release pens built by the Department of Conservation. Once On Cron has adapted to the outdoor environment, and is foraging well for food, On Cron will be transferred to Motuara Island, a predator free island in the Marlborough Sounds. On Cron will return to the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary once adapted to life in the real world. By this time On Cron will be able to fend off the kiwi’s main predator – the stoat! Hopefully in the future we will start to see and hear some of On Cron’s offspring out in the Okarito Kiwi Sanctuary.

You can help us help the Wildlife Centre rescue more kiwi chicks by donating directly to them click here

Follow "On Cron's" Progress,
Check here for updated photo's between now and On Cron's release into the forest
"Hello to those interested in 'On Crons' progress"

I received an email from Kim @WCWC with the following message and photo:

Check out our new flavoured ice cream! Would you like one scoop or two?!
Took this photo this morning when we were weighing On Cron, what a little sweetie!
On Cron did the most spectacular grown up kiwi call when s/he was in bed this morning, it stopped Bridget, Katie and I in our tracks! very loud, and shrill. When the chicks are this young they normally only make little squeaky chicks noises, this is the first time I've ever heard a chick do that in the brooder room.

On Cron at weigh in 29th November 2012.

I had visited 'On Cron' in person, to check her progress she is beautiful and it was worth every minute. Then to get the email from Kim showing her on the scales was a great surprise. Kim has promised to give a more substantial report soon. Note the pictures are contributed by the West Coast Wildlife Centre.

' On Cron '

Our 58th Chick hatched since opening, named for Anne and Richard at 58 on Cron Motel for their fantastic ongoing support!
The time has come for On Cron to move on from the West Coast Wildlife Centre. On Cron has been a fantastic chick to raise and has grown into a feisty kiwi chick. On Cron started eating food perfectly at 6 days old and has grown well ever since! On Cron is currently 27 days old, weighs 454g and eats 120g of food a night! Amazingly, On Cron seems to have already found its grown up voice! A couple of days ago the Kiwi Rangers were lucky enough to be in the brooder Room when On Cron lit rip a deafeningly loud shrill whistle call – just like a grown up! Although the call is one way to distinguish between genders in adult kiwi, On Cron’s call was all over the place so we still do not know if On Cron is a male or a female. A DNA test taken from some pin feathers will finally reveal On Cron’s gender.
We have been preparing On Cron for release. On Cron loves foraging for the juicy, wiggly mealworms we have recently been adding to the brooder each night and On Cron has also just been micro-chipped so On Cron can easily be identified later on in life.
On 30th November 2012 On Cron was picked up by the Department of Conservation Rangers and transferred to the pre-release pens. On Cron will spend a month or so in the pens getting used to life outside before being released on to Motuara Island, a predator free island in the Marlborough Sounds. On Cron will have a radio transmitter attached to the leg so On Cron can easily be monitored out in the forest. Once On Cron has grown big and strong, and is over 1kg in weight (this can take 12 months or more), On Cron will be released back into the Rowi Kiwi Sanctuary where he/she will hopefully start breeding by 4-5 years old and live a long and happy life!