Kiwis, the endangered birds that are the national symbol of New Zealand, are now being nursed back to healthy numbers by an innovative conservation effort featuring communities taking matters into their own hands.
More than two dozen privately run sanctuaries have sprouted in recent years. Thousands of volunteers have stepped up to trap, kill or chase away nonnative predators.
Elsewhere, baby spotted kiwis are being introduced to the wild by researchers for the first time in a century. (MSNBC has the AP story)