New Zealand was once home to around 12 million kiwi birds. Today, their population is less than 70,000.

This drastic decline is mainly due to predators, such as rats and stoats, that hunt young kiwi chicks, or go after the flightless birds and their large eggs in their underground nests.

One way to save the species is to take their eggs and bring them to safety in incubators. But finding these eggs isn't easy. Luckily, thousands of people have joined the massive conservation program.

Among them is Diane Prince, who has become an expert at "egg lifting." She thinks it would be "pretty bad" if New Zealanders, who call themselves "kiwis," would let their national bird die out.

DW Reporter Joel Dullroy joined her and other volunteers on their mission to save the kiwi.