Vet battles for penguins' survival

MARTIN DE RUYTER/Fairfax NZ

On close watch: The two-week-old penguin chicks, who lost one of their parents in a dog attack.

Chicks' lives on line after parent killed

TRACY NEAL

27/10/2011

Mahana veterinarian Mana Stratton is battling to save the lives of a penguin family after a dog attack at Split Apple near Kaiteriteri robbed the chicks of a parent, and the remaining adult of a critical mate.

Ms Stratton, who works as a Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry vet and has expertise in the care of exotic animals and marine wildlife, is keeping an around-the-clock watch on the two little blue penguin chicks and the remaining parent. She believes the parent is the mother, judging by its behaviour and beak.
"I call it the mother but without DNA sex testing, I can't be sure."
Penguin chicks relied on both parents, Ms Stratton said.

The birds were brought to her early last week by staff from the Department of Conservation's Motueka office. The chicks, now just under two weeks old, were found alone after one of the parents was killed by a dog and the other disappeared.

DOC Motueka area manager Martin Rodd said a family on the beach at Split Apple found the dead penguin and the chicks in their nest, and called DOC. They were advised to leave the chicks in the nest, because DOC staff assumed the other penguin parent would be nearby.
DOC staff returned to the site two days later and found that the parent had returned to the chicks. All the birds were delivered to Ms Stratton.
Survival now rests on the adult penguin being able to regain the weight it is currently losing, and the delicate care needed to ensure the family can re-adapt to a marine environment.

The adult penguin was fed fish fillets, and has now moved on to more fattening salmon smolt from Nelson-based New Zealand King Salmon. The company has come to the rescue of several endangered penguins, including emperor penguin Happy Feet, which dined on the delicacy.
Ms Stratton is doing the job for love, helped by her mum Francis, who provides back-up feeding duties. Support is also provided by Natureland educator Roger Waddell, who runs the zoo's bird rehabilitation programme.

Ms Stratton said the chicks would need to be "nursed" to a stage where they were ready to fledge.
"That's when the parents sing to them and say, `You're off'. I also have to get all three through a swim test, where they are able to swim for a minimum three hours to ensure their coats are waterproof."
Penguins in captivity could lose this life-saving preening mechanism, Ms Stratton said.
Mr Rodd said DOC had passed information about the dog incident to the Tasman District Council, which was following some leads.

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