About us

The Wildlife Veterinary Trust is a charitable trust founded in 2007. The Trust saw the need for and established a hospital facility in Christchurch dedicated to treating and rehabilitating sick and injured native birds in the South Island of New Zealand.

Prior to this there was no such facility in the South Island. Many endangered birds needing medical care, such as kea and kiwi, were flown to the North Island for treatment. The time and travel involved in sending these birds north meant that they were exposed to additional stress and delays in treatment, which can impact significantly on their survival. Having a South Island facility allows prompt, professional and specialised treatment of these valuable species.

Since opening its doors to patients in December 2014, the South Island Wildlife Hospital has successfully treated, rehabilitated and released many wild and native birds. You can follow their stories on the Hospital's Facebook page.