Our patients recover at our centre after treatment at Wildbase Hospital, they change regularly as they recover and are released back into the wild.
Our resident animals are with us all the time so there is always something to see.
Also known as kuku or kukupa.
These large birds have an important job spreading seed for native trees with large fruit. They are the only bird with a big enough bill to swallow the fruit. Kererū are found throughout the country, especially in forested areas with good pest control.
Martina was found as a nestling on the ground in Marton and brought to our centre as a patient on 11 December for hand-rearing. Initially known as “Kererū Marton”, she was placed in care until she could feed independently. Once ready, Martina was moved to a recovery aviary with older kererū to learn wild behaviours, as is standard practice for hand-reared birds.
However, her fondness for humans and lack of predator awareness soon became apparent after she was bullied by the older kererū. Because she couldn’t be safely released into the wild, Martina was introduced into the walkthrough aviary as a companion for the late Kere.
During her quarantine at Wildbase Hospital, DNA testing confirmed she was female, and she was renamed kererū Martina. On 31 March 2021, Martina transitioned into the walkthrough aviary via a soft introduction and has since become a wonderful ambassador for her species.
