After almost three months of treatment, an injured endangered royal northern albatross chick has been euthanased by Massey University Wildlife Health Unit staff.
The chick, which broke a leg in August, was operated on at the unit soon afterwards and flown back to Dunedin to recuperate at the colony at Taiaroa Head.
However, Department of Conservation staff became increasingly concerned about the albatross, which they were also treating for bone and lung infections, and it was flown back to Palmerston North on Wednesday.
Doc biodiversity assets programme manager David Agnew said Massey University vet Brett Gartrell examined the bird using X-rays and discovered that while its complicated fracture had healed, the leg had since dislocated.
The albatross was suffering from a severe lung infection and pneumonia caused by a fungal infection.
Dr Gartrell had reported the juvenile bird was unlikely to fledge successfully with the damaged joint and complication of the lung infection, Mr Agnew said.
As a result, the bird was put down by wildlife staff on Thursday.
Veterinary and Doc staff were disappointed, but understood it was the right decision, Mr Agnew said.
It was the first time the department and the veterinarians had treated a fracture in an albatross and so much had been learned.
