The bird hatched in 2011 in the New Zealand bird park Pukaha. Her white coat was very rare and the result of a special genetic trait.
Unfertilized egg
The bird’s keepers have recently noticed that she was losing weight. The rare white kiwi, called Manukura, was found to be walking around with an unfertilized egg. Although an operation to remove the egg was successful, the bird’s health subsequently deteriorated.
The death of Manukura was announced on the Instagram page of the bird park: “We will miss her terribly.”
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During her first year, Manukura was thought to be a male, but it was later revealed that it was a female. “Another surprise from this extraordinary bird,” the experts said at the time.
‘Quirky Personality’
The name of the animal means ‘prestige’ in the traditional language of the Maori. Ever since the bird hatched, the bird park has been inundated with visitors wanting to see the rare kiwi.
The manager of the bird park tells us The Guardian that there will be a place where visitors can pay the last tribute to Manukura and ‘her idiosyncratic personality’.
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