New Zealand opens its first hospital for Kiwis

First change: 02/23/2024 – 11:13

1 minute

The population of these once-threatened species has soared and the specialist veterinary hospital was built in Kerikeri, a three-hour drive north of Auckland.

The new Kiwi hospital is New Zealand's first, the Public Administration's Department of Defense told AFP.

Built by conservation group Kiwi Coast, the center is in the heart of the Northland region, home to about 10,000 of New Zealand's 26,000 brown kiwis.

The population of this small flightless bird has increased by about 1,000 individuals, and it was classified as “Nationally Vulnerable” in 2008. The species is now considered “not threatened”.

This rise is mainly due to the sacrifice of predatory species such as ferrets and stoats, but also because dog owners have received courses to teach their pets not to attack these birds.

With this development, there is a need for a specialized center to treat sick or injured animals, said Kiwi Coast Coordinator Nagar Sullivan.

“The more Kiwis there are, the more likely you are to need help,” he told AFP. “We wanted to make sure Kiwis were getting the treatment they needed,” he added.

The first patient arrived before opening: a tiny kiwi slipped through a fence and fell into a pool filter.

“It was found almost dead by a worker the next morning,” said Sullivan, whose staff nicknamed the animal “Splash.”

Before the hospital opened, sick or injured Kiwis had to be sent to a center an hour's drive away, and some “didn't survive the journey,” he explained.

The director of the volunteer-run center assures that this type of facility is crucial to maintaining the species' population.

Emily King, an animal expert at the Department of Conservation, notes that “the tide has turned in favor of the kiwi,” but without “sustained effort,” the species could become threatened again.

© 2024 AFP