Our patients are as interested in observing us as we are in them. Hospital stays involve hands-on treatments and hands-off observations. Naturally, that can involve more human contact than these wild birds are used to. Minimising stress during care is important: chronic stress can lower the immune system and contribute to disease or decline. Watching where the humans are is a normal trait of wildlife as they analyse the real or possible threats around them.
#spottedshag #kawautikitiki #wildlifehospital #nzbirds #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

We're going to bEstuary Fest Christchurchhurch tomorrow in New Brighton - come say hi!
Some of our volunteers will be at stall S2, inside the community hall, tomorrow where you can come chat and ask questions about the hospital and its work. Some other great organisations will be joining us as well and there will be food stalls present too. This is a free event to attend at the domain on Beatty Street. Don't forget the s#estuaryfests#newbrightone#charityn#wildlifeveterinarytrusti#southislandwildlifehospitalfehospital ... See MoreSee Less

March 3rd may have been World Wildlife Day, but every day at the hospital is a wildlife day for the team. The hospital continues to be busy as we move from summer into autumn.
Once our penguin patients get past the critical stage, they can begin to have pool time, like this kororā/little blue penguin. Maintaining waterproofing is an important part of rehab as a loss of this can delay release. Being in the water is also good physio for them after having movements restricted while recovering from wounds, injuries, and illness.
#littlebluepenguin #kororā #WorldWildlifeDay #wildlifehospital #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

Penguins are a common patient at the hospital. Although the most common penguin species we treat are kororā/little blue, we regularly get crested penguins, especially tawaki/fiordland crested. Tawaki are larger and stockier than kororā, but not as tall as hoiho/yellow-eyed penguins. Crested penguins of all types sport these incredible yellow wispy 'eyebrows' or crests making them look quit#Tawakir#fiordlandcrestedpenguint#wildlifehospitalf#nzbirdsl#southislandwildlifehospitalfehospital ... See MoreSee Less

We are on the lookout for a green-fingered volunteer that can spare 1-2hrs a week in the warmer months (reducing to fortnightly over the colder months) to tend to the vegetation in the surrounds of the hospital. Please email volunteering@wildlifehospital.co.nz if you can help.
We would also gratefully receive any gardening tools that are still in usable condition if anyone is looking to rehome these. Please email admin@wildlifehospital.co.nz if you have anything to donate.
#gardener #charity #Volunteering #wildlifehospital #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

Fairy prions are one of many oceanic species of birds that end up in our care from being storm blown. Tītī wainui breed on offshore islands but spend most of their life at sea where they feed by skimming along the ocean surface or dipping into the surface water.
They can end up on the mainland after storms blow them inland. They typically reach us weak, underweight, and sometimes with injuries. Currently, there are several of these prions being cared for at the hospital.
Prions, petrels, and albatross all have similar beak designs with bulbous nostrils that stick up on top of their beak, and a hooked tip. These species have an enhanced sense of smell thanks to their tube-nose, and they use this to smell for prey. The structure also allows for salt elimination, following the ingestion of salt while feeding from seawater.
These birds need particular attention to their feet in care. They spend a lot of time on wing or sat on the ocean surface, therefore they don't spend a lot of time weightbaring on their feet. The unnatural environment of a hospital can make them prone to foot sores which need to be prevented or treated on top of other interventi#fairyprionp#tītīwainuia#nzbirdsb#wildlifehospitalp#southislandwildlifehospitalpital ... See MoreSee Less

2025 saw us breaking records with the highest annual patient numbers since our doors opened: 671. Now we have broken another record, with the highest patient numbers admitted for any January since our doors opened, with 119 patients admitted for care last month. If this trend continues, we would be expecting to surpass further patient records across the year.
Records like these are so bittersweet: while the team is proud of what they are achieving, it is sad that our services are needed this much. Wildlife hospitals around the world deal with consequences. They manage the pain and suffering of wildlife that results from a myriad and complex web of issues that are almost always human-driven, including climate change, pollution, fisheries impacts, habitat destruction and predator introduction. Only targeting the root problems will reduce the strain on wildlife hospitals.
To continue doing our mahi, we need financial support for the day-to-day running costs. But as our capacity gets stretched, we also need financial support for new purpose-built premises. If you, or your business can support our work, visit wildlifehospital.co.nz/help-us/ for donations (any $ amount gratefully accepted) or wildlifehospital.co.nz/become-a-sponsor/ if you are interested in sponsoring us.
#charity #fundraising #wildlifeveterinarytrust #wildlifehospital #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less