Conservation groups learn skills in injured bird workshop

Wellington conservation groups learn new skills in injured bird workshop

On Sunday 28 August, more than thirty representatives from local conservation groups took part in a workshop to learn about the best way to help injured or sick wildlife. The event was organised by the Department of Conservation (DOC), with support from Wellington Zoo and Wellington SPCA.

Led by Wellington Zoo’s Senior Veterinarian Dr Baukje Lenting, participants in the workshop were shown how to handle and give basic first aid to injured wildlife, including native bird species.

“Wellington is home to many native bird species and until now, there has been a lot of confusion around what to do and who to contact when a member of the community discovers an injured or sick bird,” said Jenny Lynch, Conservation Manager at Wellington Zoo.

“Due to the nature of their work, local restoration and conservation groups are more likely to discover injured or sick birds in the wild,” said Jenny. “This workshop was a great way to educate our local conservation groups on how to properly handle a sick or injured bird and even provide basic avian first aid.”

The Nest Te Kōhanga, Wellington Zoo’s animal hospital and centre for native wildlife, has treated over 430 native wildlife patients in the last year.

“Native species make up at least 70% of our patients at The Nest Te Kōhanga, and these patients are typically brought to us by the SPCA, DOC, or local members of the community,” said Jenny. “By sharing our skills with other conservation agencies, we can make sure injured wildlife receive care as quickly as possible – meaning we can return more native patients to the wild.”

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