Numbers of the kiwi bird – after which New Zealanders get their nickname – have declined by 99% over the past 50 years. According to the NZ Department of Conservation, predators such as stoats and dogs mean that only 10% of kiwi chicks survive in the wild without supervision.
The charity Kiwis for kiwi, however, is supporting the bird’s chances by creating predator-free islands on which the birds have a greater chance of survival.
In the documentary 'The Forgotten World', Strachan travels to one such island, Kapiti Island, where survival rates have increased to 70%.
Old Mout is also calling on consumers to sign up to a mission to save the bird and making a donation of 20p for each sign-up.
The campaign was created by Joanne Boyle and Hannah Williamson for St Luke’s, with the film produced by Two Bearded Men. The media agency is Starcom.
Emma Sherwood-Smith, cider brands director at Heineken, said: "Our Kiwi roots mean this little bird is close to our hearts which is why we’re making the plight of the kiwi famous to people in Britain – a nation of animal lovers. We hope people will fall in love with these captivating, clever and charming little birds.
"No one wants to see a species go extinct and we hope our documentary film will have a halo effect to get everyone who enjoys our cider in Britain to think a little more about the impact they have on their own environment while supporting our mission."
Michaela Strachan added: "I hope this documentary film helps people understand just how precious the kiwi’s history is, and more importantly how its future is hanging in the balance. Let’s not be the generation that says goodbye to species, but be the generation who rallies together to look after our environment."
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