This forest, on Little Barrier Island, is home to some of the world's most extraordinary creatures.
But the strangest, and yet most interesting of all, is the Wimba.
This little woodland animal, apart from being very fluffy, suffers from the highest mortality rate amongst creatures known to man.
To understand why, you must study its habits closely.
These Wimba young will go hunting on their own almost directly after birth.
But not all Wimba are eager to leave the nest, and that sense of fear, I'm sad to say, isn't completely out of order.
Luckily, a comforting mother's touch helps this little one on its way.
Now that the group of Wimbas is back together again, they are ready for their first adventure outside the nest.
And off they go, into the wilderness, three young Wimbas looking for food.
What could this strange pink plumage be? Might it belong to the Swallow Mander?
This critter is mostly known for its tremendous speed, and fondness of popping up and behind cover.
But it's also the Wimba's main source of food.
Only the displacement of foliage, the original mating call, and the colourful feather on top of its head give away this creature's location.
It looks like the Wimbas have heard the Swallow Mander's signature mating call.
Excitingly, the chase is on.
While two of the Wimbas are focused on finding the Swallow Mander, the other Wimba is distracted,
which leads him to losing track of his brothers.
It seems this time the Swallow Mander got away.
Determined to either find food or its brother, one of the little Wimbas marches on, leaving its other brother behind.
Almost all Wimbas have a very keen sense of smell, which leads this one to a refreshing little lake.
Moving closer to the water, we can observe one of the main reasons why Wimbas make such easy prey, namely their bright yellow fur.
That yellow colour makes them easy to spot in almost every part of their habitat.
And there it is, the first death of the day. A barren fowl has snatched himself one of the little Wimbas, a regular cat for this type of bird.
Meanwhile, our second Wimba is still looking for food.
By chance, this Wimba has found a germicous malignicus mushroom. This mushroom, known for its sweet and enticing smell, has a savoury yet spicy bite.
Unfortunately, when mixed with stomach acids, the whole thing can get quite...combustible.
Apparently, the careful nature of the last of our Wimbas is what has kept this little fellow safe and alive.
And even more so, it looks like it has succeeded in locating its prey.
Slowly and ever so quietly, the Wimba moves in for the kill.
But alas, instead of bringing home the prize, this Wimba has run into the vile sand angler.
The number one cause of Wimba deaths.
And so comes an end to a long day in the forest here on Little Barrier Island.
A mother waits in vain for the return of her young, but years of experience have taught her not to wait too long.
Because if you don't get too attached to your children, you can always make new ones.
