Tamanui was the last known purebred Taranaki kōkako in the region. He was caught in the Moki Forest near Whangamomona in 1999, and became a key part of the Pukaha/Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre's breeding programme. He was one of the heaviest kōkako ever recorded, and as such Ngāti Tama named him Tamanui before his transfer to Mount Bruce.

Although it took him a while to breed, he and his partner Mapara produced three surviving chicks. He also mated with another female, Ma, to produce one other chick. Although Tamanui died in 2008, his descendants are now living on Tiritiri Matangi Island, where eventually their descendants will repopulate Taranaki forests.