Penguin rescue shows team's role
14/10/2011
ROBERT CHARLES/FAIRFAX NZ
ANIMAL TALK: Wildlife technician Bridey White speaks at Puke Ariki about the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre's role.
About 50 people gathered at Puke Ariki on Wednesday to hear Bridey White, a wildlife technician at the New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre, speak about the organisation's role.
What they also heard was the story of a little blue penguin found on a Taranaki beach with massive flesh injuries after being attacked by a dog.
After surgery, the wee chap quickly demanded salmon, went through a moulting stage and was released back into the wild.
The story is one of success for the centre – among others including the removal of a gecko's ovaries, teaching a yellow-eyed penguin to weigh itself, and repairing plenty of broken legs.
Miss White said the centre was about rescue, recovery and release of native species into the wild.
"When working with wild species, they don't want to be handled so they're treated differently to a zoo situation. We want to keep the animals wild so we don't want to make friends with them," she said.
Some of the animals seemed happy with that arrangement too – especially yellow-eyed penguins.
"Their bite isn't that bad but the right hook with their flipper – that will get you."
Her talk comes ahead of Puke Ariki's Penguin Experience 2011 Camp this weekend, where 10 Taranaki teenagers will get up close and personal with little blue penguins.
The interactive camp is based at Urenui and the youngsters will learn about the world's smallest penguin, whose numbers are in decline.
"I do think the little blue penguin is underrated. Other species get all the media attention but they are pretty cool," Miss White says.
As for that other famous penguin who was recently released, Happy Feet, she said she would hate to guess what his fate was.
"It depends whether you're an optimist or a pessimist. If you're an optimist his transmitter fell off," she said.
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