Paddy Gower recently interviewed Dr Lisa Argilla, our co-founder and Veterinary & Operations Manager as part of an in-depth report on what’s killing our hoiho/yellow-eyed penguins. This helped shine a national spotlight on something those of us working with hoiho see every day: we are frighteningly close to losing this extraordinary species. Login or sign up to ThreeNow to watch Paddy Gower Has Issues (Episode 3).
Each year the hospital plays a big role in a ground-breaking management programme for hoiho chicks being hand-reared and treated for diseases before release back to the wild. There are only 117 breeding pairs left on mainland Otago and during the breeding season, hoiho face a variety of threats they have to deal with - diseases that affects both chicks and adults, mammalian predators attacking small chicks and the effects of starvation on both adults and chicks. We estimate that without help, sadly between 60% and 70% would die. To help combat this, hoiho chicks are uplifted from their nest and raced straight to us here in the hospital for intensive care. Most are 1-2 days old and weigh about 100 grams (some still arrive in their eggs). Once treated, chicks are taken safely back to the nests they came from and reunited with ‘Mum’ and ‘Dad’, thanks to the Department of Conservation’s highly skilled frontline rangers.
We’ve just admitted the first hoiho chicks of the breeding season - it will take a massive effort from our expert veterinary team and incredible conservation volunteers from many organisations over the next month to give them all the very best start in life. Now more than ever before, if you are able to, please help support us to help save this species.
