{"id":2314,"date":"2025-07-29T05:50:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T05:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/?page_id=2314"},"modified":"2025-08-20T22:31:41","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T10:31:41","slug":"our-characters","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/our-characters\/","title":{"rendered":"OUR CHARACTERS"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"2314\" class=\"elementor elementor-2314\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4094ee7 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4094ee7\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fdaebc1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"fdaebc1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"215\" height=\"179\" src=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Logo-PNG-white.avif\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-2127\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5e3e676 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5e3e676\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d3172a1 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"d3172a1\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6f776f elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f6f776f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TAKAMOANA-150x150.avif\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-image-2321\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TAKAMOANA-150x150.avif 150w, https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/TAKAMOANA.avif 152w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ccf8308 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ccf8308\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f095111 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f095111\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">TAKAMOANA<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5990b83 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5990b83\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Takamoana was released into the Maungataniwha Native Forest in February 2012 by Kiwi icon and FLRT patron Rachel Hunter. He was the 100th kiwi to be hatched and released into the wild by the Trust.<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">He is named after an influential local Maori chief in the 1800s. Karaitiana Takamoana was also the great-great-grandfather of Simon Hall, the driving force behind the FLR Trust.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4847a67 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"4847a67\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5bc9e38 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5bc9e38\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-11e608c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"11e608c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"152\" height=\"152\" src=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Lynda-Aaron-and-Tanekaha-small.avif\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2320\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Lynda-Aaron-and-Tanekaha-small.avif 152w, https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Lynda-Aaron-and-Tanekaha-small-150x150.avif 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 152px) 100vw, 152px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ee84a1f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"ee84a1f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2962560 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"2962560\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">TANEKAHA<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-968aa90 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"968aa90\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Tanekaha (Strong Man) was the 200th kiwi chick reared by the Forest Lifeforce Restoration Trust and its conservation partners. He was returned to the bush in April 2015 by Aucklander Lynda Holswich who was reunited with her own \u2018fledgling\u2019 at the event.<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Her son Aaron was flown home secretly from Australia to be with his mother for the release.<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Tanekaha was incubated at the National Kiwi Hatchery in Encounter in Rotorua and reared in a predator-free area at the Cape Sanctuary south of Napier.<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">The Trust\u2019s primary sponsor, Auckland-based Tasti Products, secretly got in touch with Aaron and arranged to fly him home to be reunited with his mother at the release.<\/p><p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">There was an obvious bond between Ms Holswich and Tanekaha. He was calm and still with her, and in no hurry to burrow into the nest we had prepared for him.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c30618 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5c30618\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48b2de0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"48b2de0\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2830110 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2830110\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"156\" height=\"156\" src=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kevin-with-Troy-and-Mason-Bowker_JPG.avif\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2319\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kevin-with-Troy-and-Mason-Bowker_JPG.avif 156w, https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Kevin-with-Troy-and-Mason-Bowker_JPG-150x150.avif 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 156px) 100vw, 156px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e0976de e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e0976de\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-87f06a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"87f06a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">KEVIN<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4a7a59d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4a7a59d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">This very ordinary brown kiwi with his unremarkable name signalled a truly outstanding feat of endangered species conservation in June 2017 when he became the 200th young adult bird to be released into the Maungataniwha Native Forest. This was significant because population modelling suggests that a population of 200 will keep the kiwi presence at Maungataniwha self-sustaining and viable for the next 30 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Kevin was released into the Maungataniwha Native Forest in inland Hawke\u2019s Bay by Troy Bowker and his&nbsp;<span style=\"font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;\">9-year-old son Mason, of Wellington.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-844d053 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"844d053\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9e4c4e0 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"9e4c4e0\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a9b4673 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a9b4673\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Zelda-cropped-150x150.avif\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-image-2318\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Zelda-cropped-150x150.avif 150w, https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Zelda-cropped.avif 156w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b72afd5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"b72afd5\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-62a3c83 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"62a3c83\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">ZELDA<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-582ca92 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"582ca92\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Zelda\u2019s a bit of a TV star. She was the\u00a0350th juvenile kiwi to be rescued by our Maungataniwha Kiwi Programme with the help of Operation Nest Egg, and the last of our class of 2018\/2019 to be returned to the wild. Her egg came from Maungataiwha and she was released at our nearby Pohokura property, where we aim to re-establish a viable population of around 200 kiwi. Just as we have done at Maungataniwha. We&#8217;re spreading the love!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17a391d e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"17a391d\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e9666eb e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"e9666eb\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-82e8529 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"82e8529\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"156\" height=\"156\" src=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Various-cropped.avif\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2317\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Various-cropped.avif 156w, https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Various-cropped-150x150.avif 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 156px) 100vw, 156px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c54d38 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"3c54d38\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-75dce32 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"75dce32\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">BUDDY, FLATMAN, TAWA, BEN, SPUD and WAIAU<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8bceaef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8bceaef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"font_8 wixui-rich-text__text\">Buddy\u00a0is fondly known by our team as Duddy as he always sits on infertile eggs.\u00a0Flatman always does a runner\u00a0at transmitter-changing time; he bolts whenever Barry gets within 20 metres of him.\u00a0Tawa,\u00a0another male, has been known to go from one nest to another during a breeding season.\u00a0Ben\u00a0weighs in at 2.8kgs and is very laid-back and cruisy in nature, just like his namesake the helicopter pilot.\u00a0Spud\u00a0is the largest of the kiwis at Maungataniwa, weighing in at around 3kgs, and is also very placid in nature. And on the flip side we have\u00a0Waiau, who weighs in at 1.7kgs and is one of our best breeders.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TAKAMOANA Takamoana was released into the Maungataniwha Native Forest in February 2012 by Kiwi icon and FLRT patron Rachel Hunter. He was the 100th kiwi to be hatched and released into the wild by the Trust. He is named after an influential local Maori chief in the 1800s. Karaitiana Takamoana was also the great-great-grandfather of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"unboxed","site-sidebar-style":"unboxed","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"enabled","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2314","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2314"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3291,"href":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2314\/revisions\/3291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/saje.nz\/forest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}