Bird’s plastic predicament
spoon, a balloon and another piece of plastic, which were all still stuck in its stomach.
It was brought in from Castlecliff by a group of surfers.
Wildbase director Professor Brett Gartrell said an initial X-ray showed nothing wrong, but a fibre-optic tube stuck down the bird’s throat found the plastic causing its distress.
Gartrell said seabirds often ate plastic, but this was the first time he had come across a bird with an entire spoon inside it.
‘‘Sometimes the plastic just sits in the stomach. But it can cause ulcers of the gut and erode the stomach.
‘‘It can go into the intestines and sometimes it will pass through, but it can cause blockages and the bird dies soon after.
‘‘It is not necessarily a death sentence, but it does not help.’’
The plastic was removed from the bird’s stomach by gastroscopy and the bird was now recovering at Wildbase.
‘‘We see all sorts of rubbish in these birds. It is not the first time we have seen a balloon.’’
X-rays cannot detect latex or plastic, meaning the best option was to stick a video tube into its stomach.
The bird was young and would have been only a couple of years old.
Gartrell said plastic waste was a real threat for birds and wildlife.
‘‘We aren’t just talking seabirds, but dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles and much more.
‘‘The team was very excited to remove the contents from the stomach, but the sad thing is that many animals who swallow plastic will die before they make it to us.
‘‘They are fighting a battle just to survive long enough for someone to notice and bring them here.’’
The total number of animals affected by plastic each year is unknown, Gartrell said.
‘‘It is a global problem and we know it is killing seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles right throughout the world.
‘‘New Zealand is lucky to have a rich and unique range of coastal and marine wildlife and keeping plastic out of the oceans is an important way of protecting them.’’