Young Kakapo recovering in hospital

Tiaho the Kakapo being treated at Massey University. Photo: Massey University.Vets hope a young Kakapo being treated at the Massey University Wildlife Ward can be returned to the wild next week. Five-month-old Tiaho was one of 24 chicks hand-reared from the 34 born this year. There are only 124 Kakapo left in the world at present.

Lecturer in avian and wildlife health Kerri Morgan says it was thought the critically endangered parrot had kidney failure when he arrived at the ward. 

Tiaho the kakapo undergoing a CT scan at Massey University. Photo: Massey University.

Septicaemia

"He's had a raft of treatments and diagnostic tests; from blood tests and a CT scan to an endoscopy and even surgery," she says. "It appears he was suffering from septicaemia and he's slowly been recovering."
Tiaho, being hand-reared, has been a pleasure to care for. "He gives the odd growl when he's handled, but he's been great. His favourite food is kumera," Ms Morgan says.  

Return to Codfish

Once he is well enough, the young bird will travel to Invercargill to be reunited with the other hand-reared chicks before they are transferred to Codfish Island (Whenua Hou), the predator-free Kakapo sanctuary near Stewart Island. His progress there will be tracked via a transmitter fitted to his back.

Tiaho is the third Kakapo that the ward has cared for. "Pearl, our first Kakapo who was here for nine months, recently laid three eggs and produced one chick, which is fantastic," Ms Morgan says.

The ward is part of the University's Institute of Veterinary Animal and Biomedical Sciences. As well as being the only specialist wildlife facility in the country, the health centre plays a key role in training both undergraduate and postgraduate veterinary and veterinary nursing students.