Takahe from Wellington's Zealandia sanctuary dies unexpectedly
Tuesday, 1 August 2017
Zealandia's elderly takahe, named Puffin, has died.
The 21-year-old native bird was taken to Wellington Zoo for treatment after she was seen to be seen to be off her food and lethargic, a spokesman for the Zealandia sanctuary said.
She responded well to treatment for a gastrointestinal upset, possibly due to a partial bowel obstruction, and was due to return home but was found dead by vet staff on Monday morning.
Zealandia conservation manager Dr Danielle Shanahan said Puffin was popular with visitors and loved by staff.
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'Puffin was very old for a takahe, but it is still upsetting,' she said. 'There's nothing more that could have been done, it's just the sad reality of working with older animals.'
Takahe live for about 15 years in the wild and about 20 years in captivity. Puffin is survived by her 22 year-old mate, T2.
The pair came to Zealandia in 2011 from Mana Island once they had passed their breeding age.
They also have a number of grand-chicks on Tiritiri Matangi Island, Motutapu Island, Mana Island and at Burwood Takahe Centre.
Julie Harvey, Takahe Advocacy Ranger at the Department of Conservation, was hopeful about the future with these chicks.
'If the next birds are half the ambassador as Puffin it will be a huge win for takahe.' she said.
Takahe Recovery and Ngai Tahu have been notified. Puffin's body has been sent to Wildbase Pathology for necropsy.
The flightless Takahe are a protected species, once thought to be extinct.
In 1948, Invercargill doctor Geoffrey Orbell rediscovered the bird high in the tussock grasslands of the Murchison Mountains in Fiordland.