The Ruahine Whio (and Kiwi) Protectors Collective held their 10th annual hui at River Valley Lodge over the weekend of 23-24 August. There was an excellent large and diverse turnout from the various project leads, trapping volunteers, Aorangi Awarua Trust, Ruahine Whio Protection Trust, DOC, Good Nature, Horizons and Ruahine Kiwi/Environment Network Manawatu (ENM), Save the Kiwi and other interested people.
On Saturday the presentations' focused on Whio. On Sunday we started with a lovely audio of the bird song at Lake Colenso - thanks to Chris Tuffley. This was followed by interesting talks on kiwi, bats, cats and deer. Thanks to everyone who took the time to do a presentation.
Thanks also to Janey, Brian, Miranda and the rest of the River Valley team for the great food and hospitality .
On Saturday the presentations' focused on Whio. On Sunday we started with a lovely audio of the bird song at Lake Colenso - thanks to Chris Tuffley. This was followed by interesting talks on kiwi, bats, cats and deer. Thanks to everyone who took the time to do a presentation.
Thanks also to Janey, Brian, Miranda and the rest of the River Valley team for the great food and hospitality .
Te Potae Traplines - Janet W
The weather seems to be against us this season - despite the best efforts of Aimee (DOC) the weather was just too bad for the October check to go ahead. And just as it has been settling down in November, as I write this, the trip planned for this weekend has been called off . Decisions are made by the helicopter pilots and they know best. Maybe next weekend..................
There have been some lovely whio duckling sightings reported in the Colenso (Mangetera) and Maropea Forks areas with 10 ducklings in one clutch and 5 in another. Who ever heard of 10 duckings! With so many ducklings also seen in the Apias it looks to be a good breeding season which is very positive. Thanks to Geoffrey Berntsen for sending in this photo.
The weather seems to be against us this season - despite the best efforts of Aimee (DOC) the weather was just too bad for the October check to go ahead. And just as it has been settling down in November, as I write this, the trip planned for this weekend has been called off . Decisions are made by the helicopter pilots and they know best. Maybe next weekend..................
There have been some lovely whio duckling sightings reported in the Colenso (Mangetera) and Maropea Forks areas with 10 ducklings in one clutch and 5 in another. Who ever heard of 10 duckings! With so many ducklings also seen in the Apias it looks to be a good breeding season which is very positive. Thanks to Geoffrey Berntsen for sending in this photo.
Oroua and Pohangina Blue Duck Protection Project - Janet W
We have had an excellent few months over the winter on the Oroua trap lines, with regular social trapping trips to Iron Gate Hut. Kate and Helen Proctor have been regulars on the Tunupo Line and the Massey Student Wildlife Club kept up the checks on the lines around Alice Nash Hut. Kathy Ombler joined the social group on a trip in to IGH and wrote and excellent piece for Wilderness magazine - check it out in the November edition. It was great to have new volunteers Kaylee McBeth and friend Lachlan take on the Iron Gate line in October. Thanks to everyone who has helped out.
We have had an excellent few months over the winter on the Oroua trap lines, with regular social trapping trips to Iron Gate Hut. Kate and Helen Proctor have been regulars on the Tunupo Line and the Massey Student Wildlife Club kept up the checks on the lines around Alice Nash Hut. Kathy Ombler joined the social group on a trip in to IGH and wrote and excellent piece for Wilderness magazine - check it out in the November edition. It was great to have new volunteers Kaylee McBeth and friend Lachlan take on the Iron Gate line in October. Thanks to everyone who has helped out.
Social Trappers at Iron Gate Hut in September - Stephen Legg, Tony Quayle, Graham Peters, Kirsten Olsen and Jenny McCarthy.
After a very wet and cold end to winter the river has finally dropped enough to make travel easy. Riley Gudopp recently went for a tramp up the river looking for whio and on the section downstream from Iron Gate Hut to the Oroua Camp site near Alice Nash Lodge, he saw 18 Whio - 2 pairs with 5 ducklings, a pair with a single, and a lone male (where there was a pair the week before). Hopefully his mate is now sitting on eggs. This has to be a record for the Oroua, in recent times anyway. Whio have been reported at Triangle Hut - we are still looking forward to a spring trip in to there. The main river was rebaited over the last 2 weekends by social trappers and PNTMC members Ernie Cook, Neil Benton, Blair Peterson and myself - thanks also to the members of the NZDA (Manawatu) who helped on the November rebait.
Callum Taylor, Graham Peters and myself have been servicing a couple of short lines of "Ruahine Kiwi" lines on farmland and along Cone Creek - we were very pleased to see sign of whio in the very beautiful stream. We have used this as an opportunity to up skill and refresh some new and returning volunteers .
Pohangina River + Longview LIne
The Longview Line on the eastern side of the Pohangina River has historically caught a large number of stoats - it is just at the right altitude. We have a new volunteer helping with regular rebaits - thank you Robin Fields for offering to help and for the work so far - its not easy up there on that particularly long and windy track.
Chris Tuffley recently serviced the A24 traps in the Top Gorge area - thanks Chris - he took some lovely photos and has shared them with us all - see below. He reported one whio in the river and more fern birds than he has heard before on the track up from Kashmir Rd to Longview Hut .
Just today a Tararua tramping club member reported some whio in the Pohangina - a family with 5 ducklings on Ngamoko/Duck Pond Stream and 3 juveniles hanging out together between Mid Pohangina and Ngamoko. There is a pair at Leon Kinvig Hut. We are yet to do the spring service of the rest of A24 line down the Pohangina and hope to get there in December.
The Longview Line on the eastern side of the Pohangina River has historically caught a large number of stoats - it is just at the right altitude. We have a new volunteer helping with regular rebaits - thank you Robin Fields for offering to help and for the work so far - its not easy up there on that particularly long and windy track.
Chris Tuffley recently serviced the A24 traps in the Top Gorge area - thanks Chris - he took some lovely photos and has shared them with us all - see below. He reported one whio in the river and more fern birds than he has heard before on the track up from Kashmir Rd to Longview Hut .
Just today a Tararua tramping club member reported some whio in the Pohangina - a family with 5 ducklings on Ngamoko/Duck Pond Stream and 3 juveniles hanging out together between Mid Pohangina and Ngamoko. There is a pair at Leon Kinvig Hut. We are yet to do the spring service of the rest of A24 line down the Pohangina and hope to get there in December.
Ruahine Kiwi Update - Robert Gibb
We’ve just received our Pest Management Plan (PMP), thanks to the great team at Save the Kiwi—Tineke Joustra and John Bissell. This plan is a huge milestone for us: funded through our contract with Horizons it sets the foundation for our operations and strengthens future funding applications.
In the last newsletter, Mauri Oho shared the fantastic news that their DOC Community Fund contract would include some servicing for eastern Ruahine Kiwi traps, and we have been working together on the details. Even better, Rani and his crew have already been out there getting the job done!
We’ve already put the PMP to work, using it to support three funding proposals aimed at boosting summer trapping—right when mustelids start emerging from their nests. Finally let’s not forget our incredible volunteers clearing traps on the western side of the ranges. Across the network you and Mauri Oho have delivered over 540 catches including 36 mustelids, just since mid-winter.
Behind the scenes, we’ve been working hard to become an independent organisation. A fantastic group of potential trustees—supported by ENM—has been meeting regularly to lay the groundwork. Things are moving quickly, and we’re excited to share more in our next newsletter!
August was packed with making great connections! I caught up with former Manaaki Whenua colleagues and, also sanctuary staff from across the country at SONZI’s meeting in Whanganui and Bushy Park. The following week, it was wonderful to see so many of you at the Ruahine Whio & Kiwi Collective Hui – many thanks Janet for organising the hui.
We’ve just received our Pest Management Plan (PMP), thanks to the great team at Save the Kiwi—Tineke Joustra and John Bissell. This plan is a huge milestone for us: funded through our contract with Horizons it sets the foundation for our operations and strengthens future funding applications.
In the last newsletter, Mauri Oho shared the fantastic news that their DOC Community Fund contract would include some servicing for eastern Ruahine Kiwi traps, and we have been working together on the details. Even better, Rani and his crew have already been out there getting the job done!
We’ve already put the PMP to work, using it to support three funding proposals aimed at boosting summer trapping—right when mustelids start emerging from their nests. Finally let’s not forget our incredible volunteers clearing traps on the western side of the ranges. Across the network you and Mauri Oho have delivered over 540 catches including 36 mustelids, just since mid-winter.
Behind the scenes, we’ve been working hard to become an independent organisation. A fantastic group of potential trustees—supported by ENM—has been meeting regularly to lay the groundwork. Things are moving quickly, and we’re excited to share more in our next newsletter!
August was packed with making great connections! I caught up with former Manaaki Whenua colleagues and, also sanctuary staff from across the country at SONZI’s meeting in Whanganui and Bushy Park. The following week, it was wonderful to see so many of you at the Ruahine Whio & Kiwi Collective Hui – many thanks Janet for organising the hui.
Makeretu Valley Restoration Project
There just may be, finally, some good news on the access to Happy Daze Hut - we don't want to speak too soon but DOC may be nearly there with opening the new poled route
I have cut with permission from their Manaaki Ruahine facebook page - which is great and full of trip reports and data - here is one story from a recent trip. Check our their FB for more info. Great to whio up above Awatere Hut - he will need to find a mate and some more water come summer.
Springtastic!
Well...kind of.
Karen, Fiona and Anthony went into "The Valley" yesterday to clear traps and to introduce Ruahine Kiwi's Robert Gibb to the area.
Robert (see photo) is the new Ruahine Kiwi Project Lead and is also a former Manaaki Whenua - Landcare data scientist. We like kiwi. We also like scientists...and data. We figured it would be a good day.
The day was calm and cool. The Mākāretu Stream was fresh and running high. While Fiona and Anthony headed off downstream, Karen took Robert through our new Autotrap network and plan.
There just may be, finally, some good news on the access to Happy Daze Hut - we don't want to speak too soon but DOC may be nearly there with opening the new poled route
I have cut with permission from their Manaaki Ruahine facebook page - which is great and full of trip reports and data - here is one story from a recent trip. Check our their FB for more info. Great to whio up above Awatere Hut - he will need to find a mate and some more water come summer.
Springtastic!
Well...kind of.
Karen, Fiona and Anthony went into "The Valley" yesterday to clear traps and to introduce Ruahine Kiwi's Robert Gibb to the area.
Robert (see photo) is the new Ruahine Kiwi Project Lead and is also a former Manaaki Whenua - Landcare data scientist. We like kiwi. We also like scientists...and data. We figured it would be a good day.
The day was calm and cool. The Mākāretu Stream was fresh and running high. While Fiona and Anthony headed off downstream, Karen took Robert through our new Autotrap network and plan.
Numbers are really low on the Autotraps at the moment, which meant it was time to move them. Our plan is to move the traps up and down the river as they clear out rats, mice and possums. We know that we'll never get all of the animals we're targeting, but it's pretty clear by the numbers we tracking that we're making some sort of dent in populations.
Karen, our AT220 expert, planned to instal a fifth trap into our programme, but when she stuck it to a tree and turned it on the bloody thing threw up an error. Much swearing, and unsuccessful cleaning of sensors ensued, before it got put back in her pack for a ride back to Dannevirke.
Other Autotraps were topped up, recharged and moved. The plan is working...we can see numbers declining...it's just that sometimes things don't always work out.
As for Anthony and Fiona's trip downstream? Let's just say that there are a lot of hungry rats in the forest at the moment. From
30 kill stations they removed 24 rats. Three of the box traps had double kills.
All up we cleared:
24 rats. 10 possums, 11USA
Karen, our AT220 expert, planned to instal a fifth trap into our programme, but when she stuck it to a tree and turned it on the bloody thing threw up an error. Much swearing, and unsuccessful cleaning of sensors ensued, before it got put back in her pack for a ride back to Dannevirke.
Other Autotraps were topped up, recharged and moved. The plan is working...we can see numbers declining...it's just that sometimes things don't always work out.
As for Anthony and Fiona's trip downstream? Let's just say that there are a lot of hungry rats in the forest at the moment. From
30 kill stations they removed 24 rats. Three of the box traps had double kills.
All up we cleared:
24 rats. 10 possums, 11USA
North Eastern Ruahine Traplines
The trapping season in the North Eastern Ruahines got off to a great start over Labour Weekend. Sarah Fisher wrote the interesting story below for the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club.
It may just inspire some more trappers to get out volunteering............I have abridged this article a little due to the size - the full article will be available on the WTMC website/newsletter.
Protecting Whio: The Fight for Survival
Photos by Andy and Sarah
The trapping season in the North Eastern Ruahines got off to a great start over Labour Weekend. Sarah Fisher wrote the interesting story below for the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club.
It may just inspire some more trappers to get out volunteering............I have abridged this article a little due to the size - the full article will be available on the WTMC website/newsletter.
Protecting Whio: The Fight for Survival
Photos by Andy and Sarah
“If you want to save a species or habitat, it’s a fight forevermore. You can never turn your back.”
Trapping has taken me so many different places since 2021 when I first began volunteering on a trapline in my local bush reserve, Waimapihi. Over the last few years I have added another two traplines to my Waimaphi trapping portfolio; partnered up with a friend to do a longer trapline in Remutaka Forest Park; and ventured further afield to help with trapping on the Tin Range on Rakiura/Stewart Island for the protection of the critically endangered Southern Dotterel/Pukunui and spent a week at Burwood Takahē Recovery Centre. Trapping has been so rewarding because not only have I been able to give back to the places I love so much to help protect the flora and fauna but I have gained so many skills and met some very inspiring people.
Lisa and Geoff are two of these very inspiring people. They are conservation legends who have been working tirelessly to protect the whio in Ruahine Forest Park for many years. The whio/blue duck is endemic to New Zealand with a conservation status of threatened-nationally vulnerable, and are rarer than some species of kiwi. It’s a bird I have always loved because of their distinctive calls and the way they paddle up and down the fast flowing rivers that is their home. I had been talking to Lisa about getting involved with their Mauri Oho Ruahine project and we got a good weather window over Labour weekend to head up to the Northern Ruahine to do the more challenging line that they call the “Apias” starting from No Mans Hut and heading down the river to Mistake Biv and following it all the way down to Ikawetea Hut.
Trapping has taken me so many different places since 2021 when I first began volunteering on a trapline in my local bush reserve, Waimapihi. Over the last few years I have added another two traplines to my Waimaphi trapping portfolio; partnered up with a friend to do a longer trapline in Remutaka Forest Park; and ventured further afield to help with trapping on the Tin Range on Rakiura/Stewart Island for the protection of the critically endangered Southern Dotterel/Pukunui and spent a week at Burwood Takahē Recovery Centre. Trapping has been so rewarding because not only have I been able to give back to the places I love so much to help protect the flora and fauna but I have gained so many skills and met some very inspiring people.
Lisa and Geoff are two of these very inspiring people. They are conservation legends who have been working tirelessly to protect the whio in Ruahine Forest Park for many years. The whio/blue duck is endemic to New Zealand with a conservation status of threatened-nationally vulnerable, and are rarer than some species of kiwi. It’s a bird I have always loved because of their distinctive calls and the way they paddle up and down the fast flowing rivers that is their home. I had been talking to Lisa about getting involved with their Mauri Oho Ruahine project and we got a good weather window over Labour weekend to head up to the Northern Ruahine to do the more challenging line that they call the “Apias” starting from No Mans Hut and heading down the river to Mistake Biv and following it all the way down to Ikawetea Hut.
After staying in Ongaonga on Friday night, we began Saturday with a few challenges. On the the drive up to No Mans Hut, a big fallen tree blocked the entire road and we spent 5 minutes working as a team to shift it; and after dropping Geoff off to do the trapline along to Dead Dog & Herricks Hut, the ute’s key snapped in the ignition but luckily Andy managed to jimmy it up into a screwdriver head that somehow fitted perfectly and started the vehicle so we wouldn’t be stranded after all.
We started off from No Mans Hut along the wind blown tops before dropping off the spur to the creek to start the Apias line and began checking the DOC 200 traps spaced every 100m down the valley.
A few of the traps had disappeared with Cyclone Gabrielle and we had A24 traps to replace them. I had never worked with A24 traps before but I had Andy from Goodnature to teach me. Lisa compared putting the automatic paste pump into the trap’s lid like a ‘cauliflower.’ For the rest of the trip I referred to the automatic paste pumps as ‘cauliflowers’ and suggested to Andy that perhaps he could get Goodnature to rename them.
As we did more traps we got more efficient at leapfrogging each other and soon we were at Mistake Biv picking up more supplies from the Biv. By now we had seen a number of whio including a family with 5 ducklings. Lisa was very happy to see the large number of ducklings as after Cyclone Gabrielle she said the whio seemed to be having smaller families while the river recovered after the flood. We rolled into Rockslide Hut just before 6:30pm. It had been a great day.
Sunday saw us continuing down the river towards Ikawetea Hut. We saw more whio ducklings happily paddling along the river. Despite the strong wind, we were very sheltered in the valley and enjoyed the sunshine as we checked the traps. Before getting out of the river, we had to skirt around a log jam through deeper water that was mid thigh.
We stopped for a late lunch at Ikawetea Hut and experienced a variety of weather. One minute we were enjoying the hot sun then the next minute it was hailing. We escaped into the hut to put on storm gear only for the sun to come out again! Before leaving the hut I checked the double trap there and hit the jackpot with a rat on each end of it.
We started off from No Mans Hut along the wind blown tops before dropping off the spur to the creek to start the Apias line and began checking the DOC 200 traps spaced every 100m down the valley.
A few of the traps had disappeared with Cyclone Gabrielle and we had A24 traps to replace them. I had never worked with A24 traps before but I had Andy from Goodnature to teach me. Lisa compared putting the automatic paste pump into the trap’s lid like a ‘cauliflower.’ For the rest of the trip I referred to the automatic paste pumps as ‘cauliflowers’ and suggested to Andy that perhaps he could get Goodnature to rename them.
As we did more traps we got more efficient at leapfrogging each other and soon we were at Mistake Biv picking up more supplies from the Biv. By now we had seen a number of whio including a family with 5 ducklings. Lisa was very happy to see the large number of ducklings as after Cyclone Gabrielle she said the whio seemed to be having smaller families while the river recovered after the flood. We rolled into Rockslide Hut just before 6:30pm. It had been a great day.
Sunday saw us continuing down the river towards Ikawetea Hut. We saw more whio ducklings happily paddling along the river. Despite the strong wind, we were very sheltered in the valley and enjoyed the sunshine as we checked the traps. Before getting out of the river, we had to skirt around a log jam through deeper water that was mid thigh.
We stopped for a late lunch at Ikawetea Hut and experienced a variety of weather. One minute we were enjoying the hot sun then the next minute it was hailing. We escaped into the hut to put on storm gear only for the sun to come out again! Before leaving the hut I checked the double trap there and hit the jackpot with a rat on each end of it.
Crossing the river to start up the hill we saw two older whio ducklings go paddling past bringing our total to 17 ducklings over two days. A weasel and a number of rats later, we decided to call it a day and camp the night at a place Lisa and Geoff refer to the ‘Slice of Heaven’ campsite that is past point 936 and off track near a little stream. With the wind forecasted to pick up later that night we did a good risk assessment of the trees and branches above us - I’m always very cautious of that when picking a campsite especially since I’ve had a tree fall down on the roof of the hut I was in once.
On Monday morning, we were back to climbing up the ridge. Lisa had said the day before that it is a relentless climb and on Monday morning I realised she wasn’t exaggerating. It was indeed a steep climb although we got regular breaks with stops to check the traps. I referred to it as hedgehog hill after all the hedgehogs in the traps on this ridge. Just below the bushline we stopped for a break and to layer up before heading out into the strong wind. Luckily the wind didn’t seem to be as bad as forecasted and we could actually enjoy the views along the Range from the tops with the good visibility as we looped back around to No Mans Hut over Tauwharepokoru.
It was a wonderful three day trip with really varied terrain and amazing to see Mauri Oho’s Northern Ruahine Biodiversity Recovery Project in action. I was in awe of how much volunteer time and love has been given back to help
protect the Ruahine Range biodiversity especially the whio and North Island eastern brown kiwi. It’s staggering to know there are over 50km of traps but also shows what can be achieved with dedicated community effort and so many different groups working towards a common goal.
On Monday morning, we were back to climbing up the ridge. Lisa had said the day before that it is a relentless climb and on Monday morning I realised she wasn’t exaggerating. It was indeed a steep climb although we got regular breaks with stops to check the traps. I referred to it as hedgehog hill after all the hedgehogs in the traps on this ridge. Just below the bushline we stopped for a break and to layer up before heading out into the strong wind. Luckily the wind didn’t seem to be as bad as forecasted and we could actually enjoy the views along the Range from the tops with the good visibility as we looped back around to No Mans Hut over Tauwharepokoru.
It was a wonderful three day trip with really varied terrain and amazing to see Mauri Oho’s Northern Ruahine Biodiversity Recovery Project in action. I was in awe of how much volunteer time and love has been given back to help
protect the Ruahine Range biodiversity especially the whio and North Island eastern brown kiwi. It’s staggering to know there are over 50km of traps but also shows what can be achieved with dedicated community effort and so many different groups working towards a common goal.
Looking after our precious native species is an ongoing challenge and can be really heart-breaking at times when it feels like an uphill battle all the way. But we must keep fighting and be as resilient as our native birds because even just one rat or stoat can cause so much destruction. A quote from DoC that has always stuck with me is, “For every conservation success, there are also losses……..it is not simply a number’s game. Catching 50 rats means nothing if the 51st finds the colony. It is not what you catch that ultimately counts, it is what you leave behind.” This is why so much effort is going into intensive trapping across New Zealand including the Ruahine Range. We’re aiming not just to hold the line against predators anymore but push that line right back until we achieve eradication so we can insure the future for our native taonga species. It’s a big goal but we can’t afford to be anything less than ambitious if we want to succeed and the improvement in the whio population over the last few years is testament to the volunteer efforts of so many people.
Volunteer trapping is something I would really encourage everyone in our club to get involved in. We need more fit volunteers to get into traplines in the Ruahine Range. You get to go tramping and do beneficial trapping work along the way. The whio population will only be sustainable with continued trapping efforts and will be especially vulnerable the next few years after this summer’s mast event.
Volunteer trapping is something I would really encourage everyone in our club to get involved in. We need more fit volunteers to get into traplines in the Ruahine Range. You get to go tramping and do beneficial trapping work along the way. The whio population will only be sustainable with continued trapping efforts and will be especially vulnerable the next few years after this summer’s mast event.
Northern Ruahine Trap Servicing Opportunities - Lisa Whittle
We are trying to build the community of people willing and able to undertake trap servicing trips into several back country areas. Most trips are medium-fit in tramping club language. There is something for everyone. River travel with whio sightings guaranteed, tops travel with stunning views, standard tramping tracks and solid climbs to promote health and fitness! Trips are of two or three days duration.
We absolutely do not want to poach on existing commitments to Te Pōtae lines, so, if you are currently helping with these lines, please prioritise them first. But, if you do have capacity and are keen, here are the options.
No Mans Road Area. No Mans Rd ascends to the tops on the Eastern Side after passing through Big Hill Station. Lines from here connect to the Apias Stream heading towards its junction with the Ikawetea Stream. Routes pass through Māori Trust Lands (Ngāti Hinemanu rohe) as well as Public Conservation Land. These routes require a four-wheel-drive vehicle as well as permission from Māori Trustees and from Sam Glazebrook who is currently managing Big Hill Station. Because of this, these trips need to be coordinated in advance. Lisa is currently working on a schedule of trips for this area.
Upper Makaroro Area. Trips in this area are accessed from Mangleton Rd and follow either the Golden Crown track or Sentry Box Spur to gain the tops with Upper Makaroro Hut and Totara Spur beyond. Trips are all on Public Conservation Land following tramping tracks, although the Main Range North of Totara Spur is a route. Given that there are no access issues there are opportunities here to be flexible with timing.
Mōkai Pātea Range. Due to an initiative led by Tama Wipaki several new traplines have been placed on the range with lines leading down to Crow, Wakelings and Otukota Huts. Tama’s son Jason is taking responsibility for these lines in association with Mauri Oho. These lines follow either open tops or tramping tracks. As many of you will know, access to this area is vexed and trips need to be coordinated in advance.
To register your interest please contact Lisa as follows
Lisa Whittle, [email protected], 021 022 75042
If you are really keen there is the possibility of an Apias trip in early December!
"Wild Ruahine" Calendars
Thanks to everyone who has purchased a calendar for 2026 - we are sold out
Thanks to All our Supporters - and to everyone who volunteers their time for these projects.
Thanks to everyone who has purchased a calendar for 2026 - we are sold out
Thanks to All our Supporters - and to everyone who volunteers their time for these projects.
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