An adult Kororā Little Blue Penguin has joined our very special group of rescued Little Blues - Squidge, Bandit, Malteser and Matekai at Meet The Locals He Tuku Aroha.
Harriet was found in the wild and was originally treated by the team at Wildbase, a wildlife clinic in Palmerston North. We don’t know how Harriet sustained her injuries but she has been diagnosed with blindness in her left eye and has other eye-related issues. With just one functional eye, Harriet wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild as she wouldn’t be able to hunt for food or escape from predators, and so she has come to Wellington Zoo to live out her days with the rest of the Zoo’s rescued penguins.
From left to right: Harriet, Malteser, Matekai (Front), Squidge and Bandit (Front)
When Harriet first arrived, she had to undergo Zoo quarantine for a period of time to make sure she wasn’t carrying any viruses that she might pass on to our other Kororā.
While Harriet was being treated at The Nest Te Kōhanga, she was being fed a similar seafood diet to our other rescued Little Blue Penguins. She was fed twice a day with a tasty treat of salmon, and some days she got pilchard and squid as well.
Since receiving additional treatments and care from the team at The Nest Te Kōhanga, Harriet has been given a clean bill of health and has now joined her fellow penguin pals at Penguin Point.
See if you can spot her amongst the other Little Blue Penguins!
Working together
Here at the Zoo we are helping to protect Kororā Little Blue Penguins, who have been rated as nationally vulnerable by the Department of Conservation.
We work together with the Department of Conservation, Forest and Bird’s Places for Penguins, and many community groups who live around the Wellington coastline.
In May, we sent submissions to Wellington City Council regarding our Animal Bylaws and Dog Policy, to voice our concern around the potential risks to wildlife and natural habitats in Wellington. Allowing dogs off leashes around penguin populated beaches can have a devastating effect on our local penguin population. The aim is to find a balance between minimising the potential risks to wildlife with the recreational and exercise needs of dogs and their owners.
What you can do
You can help protect our native penguins by keeping your cat inside at night and keeping your dog on a lead when you’re out and about along the coast. Not only will you help to protect Kororā Little Blue Penguins, but also other native wildlife that are in range state.
