Wildlife keeps hospital staff busy

As the busy summer progresses, the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital team is busy treating shark bites on hoiho, caring for fledgling kererū, and nursing a variety of other creatures, while dealing with the occasional newsworthy antics of its patients.

Late last month, two hoiho (yellow-eyed penguin) chicks made local and national news after they escaped from their pen and created a penguin "poonami" all over the floor of their hospital ward.

Acting manager and long-standing volunteer Amelia Saxby said hoiho were feisty, curious birds, who often ran into trouble, meaning they made up about 40% of the Wildlife Hospital’s patients.

In January, the Wildlife Hospital marked five years of operation, during which time its vet teams have cared for more than 2800 patients, including 1141 sick or injured hoiho.

Last year was the hospital’s biggest year to date, with 642 patients admitted — among them 192 hoiho (20 adults, seven juveniles and 165 chicks).

The remaining patients included 35 other penguins, 83 kereru, 100 tarāpunga (red-billed gulls), 31 kākāpō, and 10 kakī (black stilt).

The final patient for 2022 was a korimako (bellbird).

November was a huge month, with 138 hoiho chicks admitted to hospital for hand-rearing, as well as the world-first successful incubation and hatching of eight hoiho eggs, taken from nests on Green Island near Dunedin.

"Rather than waiting for the chicks to get very unwell in their nests, we watch them very closely for the first days of their lives," Ms Saxby said.

"We collaborate with Department of Conservation rangers, the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust and Penguin Place to uplift them and bring them into hospital as soon as they show any signs of disease.

"This definitely seems to be improving their survival rates and health outcomes."

Among the greatest hoiho chick characters was Paddington, who was admitted to hospital in December with a sinus infection, which cleared up with antibiotics and TLC, and was now in the care of Penguin Place.

"We do get some great characters among our patients, and you do get quite fond of them," Ms Saxby said

At one time, the hospital had 74 hoiho chicks in its care, which involved a huge volunteer effort, including from Wellington and Auckland zoos.

"It was a huge effort, which really paid off — those chicks are all back out at their nests in the Catlins and across Otago and Southland."

Hatching the eggs in hospital had allowed vet teams to closely monitor the newborn chicks, at a time when they were most vulnerable to avian diphtheria, which could kill many hoiho if left unchecked.

"The best chance of survival for those chicks is in hospital," Ms Saxby said.

Hatching the eggs had also provided a unique research opportunity, as it had previously been unknown whether the chicks picked up avian diphtheria in the nest, or while in the egg.

"Some of the chicks we had in hospital hatched with avian diphtheria, showing that they can have it in the egg, which is very interesting and useful data to have."

In January, the Wildlife Hospital has dealt with an interesting collection of birds, including kererū, pararā (broad-billed prion), karoro (black backed gulls), takahē, tarāpunga (red-billed gulls), and kawau (shags).

The work of the Wildlife Hospital remained more important than ever, and would not be possible without the support of principal partner Te Pūkenga (Otago Polytechnic), and all the donors and volunteers, she said.

"And with the warming seawater causing problems and affecting fish species, it is going to get tougher for wildlife to survive."

For information and to support the Wildlife Hospital, visit wildlifehospitaldunedin.org.nz

brenda.harwood@the star.co.nz