WILDLIFE rehabilitation

Wildlife rehabilitation is the rescue, first aid and supportive care of sick, injured or abandoned wildlife. It may involve veterinary care, feeding, nursing, housing, physical and nutritional support of animals. Successful rehabilitation results in fit, healthy animals that can be released back into the wild. (WReNNZ definition).

There are many individuals in New Zealand who give their time and expertise to rehabilitate native birds, paying all related costs of rehabilitation from their own money. Some rehabbers have centres open to public, these can vary in size, others are private and work through vet centres. Some only take native bird species, others do both native and introduced bird species. Most rely on donations and have paid jobs as there is no funding model for this type of work. All native wildlife is protected and rehabbers must have a permit from DOC. This is to ensure the rehabber has sufficent knowledge to care for injured wildlife. Vets have a duty of care towards all animals and will take injured wildife.

ABOUT ME

Kia ora

I’m based in Nelson and have been involved in conservation activities and wildlife rehabilitation for many years. I’ve been made aware of the lack of information in the Nelson Region for injured native wildlife. This website I have created, has basic information to help build people’s knowledge about native birds.

I hold a DOC Authority to hold avian wildlife species in captivity for the purpose of rehabilitation and am a member of WReNNZ.  I collaborate with a local vet who triages injured birds brought in by the public, the birds then come to me for rehabilitation. The costs associated with the rehabiltation work come out of my own pocket, I am not funded for this work.  It can take many months of care for an injured bird to heal, especially birds with fractures. The best reward for all this hard work is releasing them back into the wild and watching them fly away. 

Ngā mihi

Mel