South Island Wildlife Hospital

Today our Nature Photography club trip was to the South Island Wildlife Hospital, and a very interesting trip it was. They do such wonderful work, all on a shoestring, staffed by volunteers, including the vet, they bring back badly damaged birds to a condition where they can be released back into the wild.

Today we saw a kea and kereru ( left and right images) well on the way to recovery being fed, and then a pukeko - the middle image - beak opened a little with a credit card, then wider to insert a feeding tube. The skill of the vet is amazing, as is the dedication of the staff - sometimes the birds have to be fed at 2 hour intervals, or checked on during the night, and of course there is the cleaning and getting gear sorted and ready. There are all the medical procedures that people have - blood tests, xrays, operations, medication etc.

The public donations fund everything, there is a Give-a-little page, and they have a Facebook page showing the work they do.