Parasite fears for rare kiwi

A rare kiwi chick’s life hangs in the balance after a suspected parasitic infection left it unable to walk.

The little rowi kiwi was discovered by Department of Conservation rangers on predatorfree Motuara Island, in the Marlborough Sounds, this month, lying on its side and going round in circles.

They feared the bird had broken its back or neck and rushed it to the Vet Centre, in Blenheim, where vet Mark Wiseman carried out emergency X-rays – shown above.

The scans ruled out a break, which led Wiseman to think the kiwi could be the victim of a possible parasitic infection. He arranged for it to be flown to Wellington Zoo for further tests.

‘‘It’s not something you expect to come in the door; a rare patient like that.

‘‘DOC staff found it and thought it could have a broken neck or back as its neck was really floppy and it couldn’t walk but I thought it was probably more neurological. It’s only about 7 months old and pretty special.

‘‘When he or she came in, it could move both legs but could not walk.

‘‘His poor little neck was floppy but, apart from that, he was quite bright and strong so he can’t have been like that for long – overnight at worst.

‘‘I was considering the possibility of a parasitic larvae that may have migrated through the spinal column,’’ he said.

Staff gave the bird fluids and put it in a dark box to help stop shock setting in.

Young kiwi grow until they are 4 years old and their sex cannot be verified until they are more than 2 years old.

Wiseman said the bird was on intravenous fluids at The Nest – Te Ko¯hanga animal hospital and centre for native wildlife at Wellington Zoo.

There are fewer than 500 rowi kiwi left in New Zealand after their population was decimated by stoats.