Little blue penguin's full recovery
STACEY WOODLast updated 11:42 24/03/2011
CRAIG SIMCOX/The Dominion Post
FREE AT LAST: Fuschia Taitapanui and her son TeAniRangi watch a little blue penguin being released on Wellington's south coast at Moa Point.
The penguin was one of two starving, malnourished fledglings taken into the zoo in late January - the other bird died soon after.
Restored to full health, the chick was released by zoo staff at Moa Pt yesterday morning and disappeared into the sea.
Veterinary science manager Lisa Argilla said the current La Nina weather patterns were making it hard for sea birds to find food, because the calmer seas meant fewer small fish and plankton close to the surface of the water for them to feed on.
Dr Argilla said the baby penguin had made a great recovery. "He didn't really need much medical treatment, just some worm tablets and a lot of tender loving care."
He was fed on a diet of salmon, vitamin supplements and salt. "Penguins and other sea birds have a salt gland that shrinks if they don't have enough salt in their diet. If they're released again with a shrunken salt gland they can get salt poisoning and die."
Zoo staff made sure the young bird spent lots of time in the pool to keep his fitness up.
Dr Argilla said yesterday's release went like clockwork and the bird was on his way as soon as his cage was opened. "He charged out and made straight for the water."
Wellington Zoo is also home to little blue penguins Squidge, Mumble, Malteser and Bandit, who had to have a flipper amputated after it was trapped in a fishing line. The penguin released yesterday was not named becausehe was always going to be put back into the wild.
- The Dominion Post
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