She was found weak, disorientated and displaying concerning neurological signs by Department of Conservation (Doc) rangers, and was rushed to the wildlife hospital where blood tests revealed her liver was failing.
Wildlife Hospital director and wildlife veterinarian Dr Lisa Argilla said liver failure was an extremely serious condition that could often be fatal.
The albatross was started on an aggressive treatment regime to try to prevent further damage, as well as help her liver to heal, she said.
Further diagnostic tests included X-rays as well as an endoscopy of her stomach to check whether she had ingested any toxins that could have caused the liver issues.
It was "touch and go" for the beautiful bird, and she spent two weeks in intensive care, Dr Argilla said.
During that time, the bird’s partner and Doc rangers continued to care for her chick in the hope she would be able to return to take over the care.
Fortunately, she made a full recovery and is back at Taiaroa Head, looking after her chick.
It was not clear what had caused the illness, Dr Argilla said.
It was often hard to pinpoint the toxin or infection, because it was usually long gone by the time the signs of damage showed up in the liver.
There was a chance she could be re-exposed to whatever caused the issue.
Dr Argilla was amazed the albatross had managed to pull through, because the giant birds were generally "extremely poor patients".
The albatross had recently been observed feeding her chick, which was "just the most amazing news ever", she said.
"What a miracle bird to survive being so sick.
"It was an absolute privilege for our team to be able to care for this taonga, and for her to be released successfully back into the wild.
"This is why we do the work we do - nothing can describe the feeling of seeing one of our ex-patients thriving back in the wild."
