Look: 'Big kiwi' bird runs loose through sawmill

May 2 (UPI) -- Workers at a New Zealand sawmill received an early morning shock when a particularly large kiwi bird decided to run through the shop.

Lucas James, who works at Rosvall Sawmill in Whareora, said he and his coworkers were perplexed when the bird showed up in the early morning.

"I was still bleary-eyed, early in the morning, and was using the drill press in the workshop when I heard a scuttle behind me," James told Radio New Zealand . "I turned around and there was a big kiwi running around the middle of the workshop. So I called all the guys, we had a look, and sort of panicked. We didn't know what to do."

James said it was the first time he had seen a kiwi in person.

"It really surprised me how big they are. I'm not a short guy and it came up to my knees, so it was quite a big creature," he said.

The workers contacted the Department of Conservation, which dispatched personnel to the scene.

"After a thorough check-up, the little adventurer was named 'Rosvall' after the sawmill she was found at," the department said on social media.

The kiwi was returned to the wild in the Mount Tiger area, officials said.