Boys save one-legged kea, Jake

LOOKING PERKY: Jake the one-legged kea in his new enclosure at Natureland Zoo. Photo: COLIN SMITH/Fairfax NZJake the one-legged kea is settling into his new home at Natureland Zoo and he seems to be getting around just fine.

The two-year-old kea was rescued by cousins Jake and Christian Jenner when they found him with a broken leg near Lake Rotoiti.

Jake, 10, said he and Christian, 13, saw the injured kea hopping along a road while they were pig hunting last October.

"We picked him up, put him in a sack and took him home and rang up Natureland," he said.

Natureland Zoo operations manager Gail Sutton said the kea's right leg had a compound fracture as a result of being caught in a trap.

"The bone was exposed and his foot was later surgically removed," she said.

Ms Sutton said the kea would have died in the wild without the boys' help.

SETTLING IN: Cousins Christian Jenner, left, and Jake Jenner, who found the injured kea, watch as he explores his new enclosure. Photo: COLIN SMITH/Fairfax NZ"The infection in its leg would have killed it eventually. It's a toss-up whether it would have died of infection or starvation," she said. "These guys saved its life, which is pretty special because kea are becoming endangered."

Ms Sutton said Jake the kea would remain in captivity with his new kea mates due to potential feeding problems in the wild. "Natureland Zoo is part of the zoo-based breeding programme for kea," she said.

Cousins Jake and Christian said it was "cool" to see Jake hopping after he was released into his new enclosure.