Pukaha Mount Bruce

History

The beginnings of the Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre go back to 1958 when a Wairarapa farmer and keen ornithologist, Elwyn Welch, took four takahe chicks back to his farm to safeguard the species from extinction.

The takahe had been rediscovered in Fiordland 10 years earlier, after being thought extinct for more than 50 years. The chicks were successfully fostered by bantam hens.

The New Zealand Wildlife Service took over Welch's work in 1962, setting up a native bird management reserve in the Mount Bruce Forest.

Ranger Sue Bolland with a kokako
released into the Pukaha forest in 2003

The service successfully bred the vulnerable brown teal in 1962 and blue duck in 1964, but it was 1970 before the first successful breeding in captivity of the takahe took place.

Takahe and Pukaha Mount Bruce are now inextricably linked, with the pioneering spirit of the takahe work being continually extended by the captive-breeding programmes of Department of Conservation staff.

Guardianship

Pukaha is under the guardianship of a strong partnership between The National Wildlife Centre Trust, Rangitane o Wairarapa and the Department of Conservation.

They share a common vision to restore the legendary dawn chorus to the primeval 942 hectare Pukaha Mount Bruce forest, one of the last remnants of the once magnificent 70 mile bush, which stretched from Masterton to Norsewood.

These three groups are drawn together in to their unique community partnership through the Pukaha Mount Bruce Board which was established in 2006.

With support from sponsors, and community fundraising efforts, kaka, kokako and kiwi have since been returned to the Pukaha forest.

You can find out more about the forest restoration project and the captive breeding work at Pukaha on the Pukaha Mount Bruce website.

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