When bath time meets playtime!

This kererū patient is enjoying her daily bath and making sure to clean under each wing!

While Aotearoa is in lockdown, our essential veterinary staff are making sure our animals are well looked after, as well as continuing their care for injured patients from the wild. This nearly 6 month-old juvenile kererū is one such patient, who arrived at our vet hospital on February 19th, in need of veterinary treatment.

Originally found abandoned as a nestling, she was taken in and hand-reared by an approved wildlife carer. The chick survived and grew to an adult size but had some issues with its feet and behaviour and so the wildlife carer, together with our colleagues at the Department of Conservation asked for out help in assessing the bird further.

Our vet team were able to perform a range of diagnostics including radiographs (X-rays) and endoscopy (putting a 3mm camera inside her body to examine the internal organs). The kererū has deformed toes preventing it from perching correctly and was also diagnosed with a bacterial respiratory infection.

Since then, the kererū has received injectable and oral treatments, as well as expert nursing care, and we’re pleased to say she has now made a full recovery from her respiratory infection. The deformity in her toes is severe and permanent and so she cannot survive in the wild, but we’re pleased to say that Auckland Zoo will be providing a long-term home and life-time of care for this kererū.

We’re very thankful for all of our essential keeping staff, vets and facilitators, who are passionate about their work for wildlife and we’ll continue to share more stories from them in the coming days and weeks. #ClosedButStillCaring.