Kiwi are flightless, nocturnal birds uniquely vulnerable to introduced predators. Predator-free sanctuaries and island refuges have become their primary welfare and survival lifeline.
Kiwi chick predation by stoats occurs at rates that cause nearly complete recruitment failure without intervention; stoat populations erupt in mast seeding years, killing entire cohorts of kiwi chicks. Individual chicks die through predation that involves physical attack, causing acute pain and fear. Adult kiwi are also killed in large numbers by dogs — a major source of human-caused welfare harm. Predator control through trapping, poisoning, and fenced sanctuary creation protects individual kiwi from these welfare harms while stabilizing populations. Kiwi Aotearoa New Zealand's nationwide kiwi monitoring and management program has halted population decline in many areas. Expanding predator-free areas remains the critical pathway to kiwi welfare and survival.