The email sent will contain a link to this article, the article title, and an article excerpt (if available). For security reasons, your IP address will also be included in the sent email.
Lee the kakapo. Photo: Auckland Zoo.
After being successfully treated for lead poisoning at Auckland Zoo, Lee, a male kakapo died following a three-hour emergency operation.
A post-mortem examination has confirmed that Lee died from a small tear in the side of his crop - the sac-like part of the bird's digestive system where food is stored before it enters the stomach. This tear caused food to escape into the surrounding tissues, resulting in severe inflammation. Vets also discovered several areas of thinning in the crop wall, which they say could have predisposed Lee, an older bird of unknown age, to this type of injury.
Return to Article