Wildlife Rehab, Nelson NZ

07/06/2026

Takahē return to Golden Bay 🙂

A new $400,000 predator-proof fence that stretches four kilometres has brought on their return.

04/06/2026

Another young kea shot 💔

DOC is calling for information after a juvenile kea was shot in the wing in Golden Bay and had to be euthanised due to its injuries.

09/05/2026

When rehabbers work together we can have greater outcomes for our native wildlife...

This little kid is a rehab collaboration between myself and Bush Haven in Invercargill.

He came into care at the end of March after his nest was accidentally destroyed (the tree it was in was cut down) so he's been in care for four weeks.

The team at Bush Haven were in the situation where this little kid was the only Kereru in care at present. On one hand - a good thing....but for this wee one, not so much. Being in an aviary on his own and being so young put him at risk of imprinting on humans. Having no natural fear of people puts him at even more risk when released.

I've currently got 4 in temporary residence and at least one (the little kid who fell from his nest at Botanical Gardens) will be over-wintering until it's old enough to be released when there is more food around.

By temporarily transferring the little guy up from Invercargill it means he not only has company of his own kind, but he will learn how to eat trees, fly and have very little human interactions (only when I go in to feed once a day) as he grows over the next few weeks before he goes back down to freedom.

When we all work together we can have greater outcomes for our wildlife, and for me, this is what it's all about.

Right now, this little kid just needs to learn "how to Kereru".

04/05/2026

Seagulls, often maligned and misunderstood deserve some love...

22/04/2026

Exciting! 💚

19/04/2026

Sometimes we can't save them all...
Today, a caring member of the public contacted us about an injured Kahu - Australasian harrier. We managed to capture it and rushed the bird to an emergency vet. Sadly, it had multiple fractures and was put to sleep as it was beyond rehabbing. My best guess is that it was struck by a car and flew away to find somewhere quiet. I'm incredibly grateful to the lady that reported it and to the vet who stopped the bird from suffering. 💚

03/04/2026

Welcome to sprites journey album.

Sprite… you might remember him as an internet star.

Sprites journey started as a rescued pukeko, turned into socail media content.

He was an internet sensation loved, shared, and followed by so many. But behind the views and attention, things weren’t done the way they should have been.

Sprite was raised like a pet. And that’s where it went wrong.

There was 4, unfortunately one was hit by a car and passed away due to being raised as a pet in such a way, another has aparently gone missing.

Vets and wildlife rescues are very clear on this: you cannot raise a wild animal as a pet and then expect to successfully release it. It sets them up to fail. They lose their natural instincts, become dependent on humans, and struggle to survive or integrate back into the wild. Absolutely no vet would advise to release such an animal.

But, against the knowing he couldnt be released, he was relased anyway.

Once Sprite started flying, and no longer be able to be contained, he was released into the wetlands, not properly prepared, not independent, and not given the tools he needed to survive. .

Luckily again his release was shared on socail media as a feel good moment, many knew this wasnt the right thing to do and he was in danger and so we were made aware of it.

And now… through great work of park rangers, AJP and us, he was rescued.

Rescues have stepped in to give Sprite the chance he should have had from the start. Right now, he’s being taught how to be independent, how to be a bird again. It’s not easy. He has separation anxiety, he seeks humans for comfort, and being alone is something he’s still learning to cope with, he has a small pellete when it comes to food, and has very much food preferences as do most raised as pets.

But slowly… he’s getting there.

We’re starting to see small signs of confidence. Small steps, not staning under feet, not screaming if we leave him.

We’ll be sharing his journey as it unfolds, the good, the hard, and everything in between and we’ll keep updates coming as often as we can so you can follow along with his progress.

Because this is what real rescue looks like.

And while we focus on giving Sprite the best possible future… we still haven’t found his brother.

That part doesn’t sit right with us. And we won’t stop looking.

In the meantime, if you ever find a wild animal, infact any animal, wild or domestic, please make sure you know exactly where it’s going and who it’s going to. Choose a reputable rescue. Not just anyone on the internet people like the look of. Look at what they do, many Ask questions. Make sure they follow proper rehabilitation practices.

Because when it’s done wrong it’s the animal that pays the price, and many of us rescues have to pick up the peices.

So check in on sprites journey album and learn more about how we can best be stewards to wildlife.

27/03/2026

Encountering injured seabirds...

26/03/2026

Grounded native birds...
Because of the heavy rain and strong winds we are having, there could be many birds grounded and injured from the storm!

If you find a grounded bird please do the following...

1. Prepare a box lined with a towel
2. Use a smaller towel to pick up the bird and gently place bird in a box
3. Leave the box in a quiet room
4. Do not feed the bird!
5. Do not hold them any longer than necessary
6. Do not pet or stroke them. These birds will be stressed and scared as we are a giant predator to them
7. Contact your nearest DOC permitted bird rescue or take to your local vet. https://www.wrennz.org.nz/wrennz-centres

09/02/2026

Join the count 🦋 Your contributions will help to build a clearer picture of where butterflies are thriving and where they need more support. Help protect and conserve NZ’s unique butterfly species...