Wildbase

14/05/2026

One of our previous veterinary residents Shelly, has gone on to a PhD in Australia and there’s a nice profile piece on her work here.

Name: Shelly ButcherInstitution: The University of QueenslandShelly, her PhD supervisor Laura Grogan and co-authors have recently published an important paper in the Australian Veterinary Journal describing novel fungal species responsible for Snake Fungal Disease in Australia. You can also read mor...

14/05/2026

The last of our albatross patients from the April storms was released yesterday, once again thanks to Coastguard Hawke's Bay. Much appreciated everyone

01/05/2026

And here’s the release video of the albatross courtesy of Napier Coastguard Hawke's Bay. We have had a few less than polite comments on some previous release videos so I thought it worth explaining our release protocols here. These are seabirds who spend most of their lives at sea, and they come down on the surface of the water regularly to feed and rest. As such, they are very comfortable with taking off from the ocean surface as you can see in this video. in our 20 + years of working with these birds we have tried other techniques such as beach and cliff releases but these come with some serious problem. Some of our beach released birds have been mobbed by gulls, and have been harassed by people and dogs. Cliff based releases can lead to catastrophe if the bird doesn’t immediately catch the wind. So we use boat based releases to get the birds away from coastal hazards and give them the best chance of re-orienting themselves in their natural habitat. Our work combines our own experiences and also those of our international collaborators in the Americas, Africa and Europe.

01/05/2026

One of our albatross has been released. See the RNZ story here https://www.facebook.com/share/r/17vNW4oytC/

28/04/2026

One of the young albatross will be spending some time on the outdoor pool tomorrow afternoon between 3-4pm getting one step closer to release. Pop down to the Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery centre and have a peek if you can

25/04/2026

and one more video showing these birds curious attitude while they are in care.

25/04/2026

One of the current albatross in care. Bill length = 103 mm, Bill width =21 mm and bill depth 58 mm. Looking forward to getting the ornithologists thoughts on whether they are black browned or Campbell Island mollymawks, or if its even possible to tell at this stage

25/04/2026

We have a small flock of albatross in hospital following the bad weather thanks to the great work of Ngahuia Wild Bird Rescue and Bird Rescue Whanganui Manawatu. They are juveniles and may be either black browed mollymawks or Campbell Island mollymawks, it’s difficult to tell between these two species till they get their adult plumage. We had one die overnight but the other three are doing well and will hopefully be ready for release next week. They are smart and curious birds and very vocal. Keep your fingers crossed they contI use to do well in care.

22/04/2026

It’s World Earth Day, the perfect time to reflect on how our everyday actions impact the wildlife we share this planet with.

Recently, a young tarāpunga red-billed gull arrived at our Wildbase Hospital after being found hanging from a streetlamp, tangled in discarded fishing nylon. Thanks to the quick actions of members of the public and Bird Rescue Whanganui Manawatu, he was safely rescued and brought into the care of our team.

While he had no broken bones, the nylon caused soft tissue bruising and damage to the primary flight feathers on his right wing. The Wildbase Team carefully removed the damaged feathers to encourage regrowth, though there was risk the feather follicles had been harmed during his struggle which could have prevented him from flying again.

He’s not alone. The Wildbase Team regularly treats wildlife affected by preventable cases linked to human rubbish, from a kawaupaka s**g with an injured foot caused by a three-pronged fishing hook, to a kororā little blue penguin caught in netting, they’ve seen and treated it all.

This World Earth Day, it’s important to remember our choices ripple far beyond us. Picking up litter, disposing of fishing gear responsibly and looking out for wildlife in your community are all small actions that make a big difference for the species we share Aotearoa with.

11/03/2026

One of our fantastic Wildlife Technicians is moving to a new role as a teaching tutor in the School of Veterinary Sciences. So we are on the hunt for a new veterinary nurse/technician. We are looking for someone with a real passion for native wildlife, a veterinary nursing degree or diploma and experience working as a veterinary nurse. If you would like to join our team, then you can find the application here

https://massey.t1cloud.com/T1Default/CiAnywhere/Web/MASSEY/OrganisationManagement/JobBoardEnquiry?f=%24ORG.REC.EXJOBB.ENQ&suite=CES&func=%24ORG.REC.EXJOBB.ENQ&portal=RECRUIT_EXT&isOldGuest=false

(Scroll down to the bottom of the page after clicking the link)

The closing date is 26th March 2026