A rare brown teal/pāteke has hatched in a "miracle" tale of survival.
In a social media post, the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre in Mount Bruce said their "hearts sank" when they spotted a female pāteke back out on the pond beside her mate.
"It usually means only one thing, the nest she had been faithfully keeping warm for the past month hadn’t made it."
A search uncovered the dabbling duck's nest with a pile of "very smelly eggs confirming our fears".
After bringing the clutch inside, staff at the centre said just one "perfect" egg "still full of promise" remained.
On closer examination, staff spotted the "faintest movement of a tiny beak in the air cell".
With a little help from staff – and past its due date – the "little fighter wriggled, pushed… and finally emerged into the world".
The little pāteke, since named Merekara (Miracle), was introduced to other ducklings of a similar age and size.
In just seven days, Merekara had doubled in weight and size.
"Watching that fluffy bundle transform so quickly is nothing short of magical," the Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre said.
Brown teal/pāteke are one of New Zealand’s rarest ducks.
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