You may have seen recent posts about us receiving some baby penguins. This one, nicknamed 'Stan', is being examined by vet Micah using a paediatric stethoscope. You can see just how small these kororā/little blues s#chickf#penguink#penguinchickn#kororāc#littlepenguint#littlebluepenguinl#nzbirdsn#birdsofaotearoao#wildlife #wildliferehabd#wildliferehabilitationb#wildlifehospitalf#siwhi#southislandwildlifehospitalfehospital ... See MoreSee Less

This tawaki/Fiordland crested penguin is not shy about being weighed. Daily weigh-ins help us monitor the health and recovery of our patients. Many of the birds arrive with us underweight, often severely underweight, as a result of malnutrition or secondary to injuries.
Just for fun (there's no prize), can you guess how heavy this one is? Bragging rights for the closest gu#penguinn#fiordlandcrestedpenguinn#nzbirdsb#birdsofaotearoae#wildlifed#wildliferehabr#wildliferehabilitationa#wildlifehospitalp#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalp#weighinighin ... See MoreSee Less

Freshly awake from an anaesthetic, this harrier hawk was one of two that came in soon after each other, one with a dislocated elbow and the other with an open wound to the mid-wing.
Birds are stabilised with fluids and pain relief before anaesthesia is given to perform wound care and bandaging. Anaesthesia comes with risk but is needed when procedures would otherwise be painful for the animal.
#Hawk #harrierhawk #wildlife #wildliferehab #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa ... See MoreSee Less

Check out these penguin feet. Their claws are great for gripping on uneven surfaces and help them climb up rough and steep slopes when they come ashore. The webbing between their toes helps to propel them under water making them more efficient at pushing forward.
One of the challenges we have while penguins are in our care is providing a surface to stand on that is appropriate for them. Aside from during moults, penguins spend more time in the water in the wild, and therefore not weight-baring. Sores can develop on the feet from pressure, leading to pain and bacterial infections. In the hospital, we use a special rubber matting to help reduce this problem.
#Feet #penguinfeet #penguin #birdsofaotearoa #nzbirds #wildliferehab #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #wildlife #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

We recently had 2 oyster catcher eggs and 3 banded dotterel eggs incubating. Of those, only 1 successfully hatched. The little oyster catcher that hatched showed neurological (nerve-based) symptoms within days and declined, prompting welfare decisions to be made.
This is a side of wildlife health care that is not always shown or discussed. We see a lot of wild birds at the hospital but sadly not all of them survive to make it back to the wild. Although our goal is release, this is not at the expense of welfare which drives our decision making.
This was a sad outcome but the many successful releases keep us doing what we do.
#wildlife #wildliferehab #wildliferehabilitation #wildlifehospital #siwh #southislandwildlifehospital #oystercatcher #nzbirds #birdsofaotearoa #hatchling ... See MoreSee Less

We recently launched our brand new website and now there's more ways to support us. We now offer digital gift certificates!
Available from $10-$200, you can help feed, treat or medicate our patients by donating in a loved one's name. With the holiday season fast approaching, it's the perfect time to give the gift of conservation to whānau, friends or colleagues.
Head over to wildlifehospital.co.nz to#charityt#giftcertificatesi#holidayseason #conservationn#wildliferehab #wildliferehabilitatione#wildlifehospitali#wildlifep#siwh##southislandwildlifehospitalildlifehospital ... See MoreSee Less

Intra-oral view of a white-faced heron. When patients are at their sickest, we often have to be much more hands-on with feeding them. This often necessitates having to open their mouth to pass a crop tube for liquidised food, or to encourage consumption of hard prey items such as fish. We also have to open their mouth to perform a health exam, ensuring there are no wounds, lesions or evidence of disease that could interfere with feeding or swallowing.
If you look closely, you can see some blood vessels in the lining of the bottom beak, and the little slit in the middle is the entrance to the airway. Behind that is the entrance to the gullet. ... See MoreSee Less