New Zealand's kiwi are threatened by stoats, rats, and possums introduced by European settlers — welfare science guides predator control to protect chicks through their most vulnerable life stage.
Kiwi chick welfare is primarily threatened by stoat predation in the first weeks after hatching. Stoat population explosions in beech mast years cause almost total chick failure without intervention. Aerial 1080 poisoning is controversial due to welfare concerns for non-target species but produces dramatic kiwi welfare benefits. Kiwi sanctuaries with intensive predator control show the welfare outcome that predator-free environments deliver for this ancient lineage.