There's less than 500 rowi kiwi left in New Zealand, so vets did all they could to save this one's sick cousin when it was brought to them. (File Photo)

A rare kiwi that almost died from a mystery illness is on the mend after a battle with suspected meningitis.

The desperately sick rowi kiwi was discovered by Department of Conservation rangers on predator-free Motuara Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, earlier this month.

After emergency treatment at The Vet Centre in Blenheim, the protected bird was flown to The Nest Te Kōhanga at Wellington Zoo where it is out of danger and said by staff to be recovering well.

While still wobbly on its feet, it has started to walk again. It is hoped the bird will eventually go to a temporary rehabilitation centre under the care of The Department of Conservation somewhere in the South Island.

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SUPPLIED The little rowi kiwi was discovered by DOC staff and rushed to The Vet Centre for x-rays. The transmitter attached by DOC is clearly visible.

Wellington Zoo spokesman Ash Howell said vets thought the mostly likely cause illness was a bacterial infection.

"The kiwi is in a really good condition.

"The bird has been eating well and leaving plenty of evidence of foraging behaviour,"

"The kiwi has also gained weight after an initial loss of weight when he first arrived at The Nest Te Kōhanga."



"Initial blood tests indicated a severe inflammatory response that would most commonly occur with bacterial infections.

"The bird has responded well to antibiotic treatment, so while we can't be 100 per cent sure, a bacterial infection involving his brain or the tissues around it (encephalitis or meningitis) is the most likely cause."

There were fewer than 500 rowi kiwi left in New Zealand after their population was decimated by stoats. They were only found in South Ōkārito Forest, near Franz Josef.

DOC established Operation Nest Egg to remove eggs from areas of the forest with high-risk predation and moved them to Motuara Island, around 32km from Picton.

Howell said the kiwi's response to treatment had been "amazing so far."

"He is able to stand, walk and forage with only a small amount of wobbliness.

"For all wildlife treated at The Nest Te Kōhanga, the plan is to be able to release the bird back to the wild."