Wildbase Hospital comes of age
A world-first brain surgery on a kākāpo chick, helping a kiwi chick to hatch, and working out how to make a ruru with a head injury see again are among some of the hero stories produced by Wildbase Hospital, which is celebrating its 21st birthday this month.
Based at Massey University in Palmerston North, the wildlife hospital has treated more than 7000 native birds and other creatures since 2002.
Professor Brett Gartrell said the public, donors and partner organisations had helped the hospital make a profound impact on the conservation of native fauna.
Its patients had included 6472 birds, 281 reptiles and 23 bats. Among them, 571 were from endangered species, and 1670 were from threatened species, with a total of 138 different wildlife species treated in all.
Since 2019, about a third of the hospital’s patients have spent time convalescing at the Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery centre in Palmerston North’s Victoria Esplanade, where the public can observe them and learn their stories.
The rest are returned to various conservation projects, or receive direct rehabilitation at Wildbase Hospital until they are ready for release.
The birds treated include a number of nationally critical species facing the highest risk of extinction. They are the tūturuatu (shore plover), kākāpo, matukuhūrepo (Australasian bittern), Salvin’s and Antipodean albatross, kakariki karaka (orange-fronted parakeet) and kōtuku (white heron).
The team has also helped a range of nationally-endangered birds, including hoiho (yellow-eyed penguins), rowi (Okarito brown kiwi), kea and masked booby, and nationally vulnerable birds such as takahē and whio (blue duck).
The most frequent flyer has been the kereru or New Zealand wood pigeon, with 1099 needing care at the hospital.
Reptiles have also contributed to patient numbers, including Otago skinks, rough geckos, grand skinks and green sea turtles.
Gartrell said the catalogue of successes showed that Wildbase Hospital had remained true to its mission of providing vital treatment and support to sick and injured native wildlife.