The Kakapo Recovery Programme Ranger Diary has just posted a nice update on the release of the last of the 2009 season’s chicks. Hananui’s chick in now getting accustomed to life in the Whenua Hou forest.

This release was special for the team for a number of reasons. Firstly, she has been on a recovery mission having arrived back from Auckland Zoo’s Veterinary centre following treatment for an infected footpad and a torn eyelid. She has always been an intrepid climber and presumably these injuries were sustained during an overly ambitious attempt to summit one of the Manukas in the chick pen. On discovery of her injuries the team kept close watch on her health. After initial improvement her foot became more swollen and it was clear that she would need Veterinary assistance.

She was flown off Codfish Island and Sandy Cooper of Invercargill performed a minor operation to trim the damaged eyelid and remove dead tissue from the wound on the underside of her foot. All patched up, our young Kakapo flew up to Auckland on the same day, and thrived under the care of the Auckland Zoo Veterinary staff, recovering quickly and returning to us ready to be weaned. She spent ten days in the Codfish Island chick pen, at which time we knew she was ready for the forest-proper.