Originally found around Breaker Bay, the Kororā was brought to us last month by a member of the community after the bird was hit by a car. The penguin was very lucky and didn’t break any bones!

Our Vet Team are now letting the penguin recover and are giving the bird plenty of food, fluids and giving him time to regain fitness and feather waterproofing in the salt water pool.

Our Vet Team always wear gloves and use blankets when handling birds so not to damage their feathers and compromise their waterproofing

Within the next few weeks the Kororā will be released back to Breaker Bay where it was found, as birds like the Little Blue Penguin are known to return to the same spots over time.

Releasing wildlife like the Kororā Little Blue Penguin is a great achievement for the Zoo’s ongoing contribution to conservation in New Zealand. Here at the Zoo we are helping to protect Kororā, which are considered nationally vulnerable by the Department of Conservation. We work together with the Department of Conservation as well as the West Coast Penguin Trust to help protect these penguins.

The community can help protect our Kororā by being mindful when driving around areas known to have penguin colonies. You can also help by keeping your cats inside at night and keeping your dog on a lead when you’re out and about along the coast.

Vet Nurse Shanna feeds the Little Blue Penguin sprats which is a type of fish

If you spot a sick or injured animal in the wild, here’s how you can play your part to help:

If it’s a native species, please call the Department of Conservation (DOC) in the first instance on 0800 362 468.

If DOC suggests the animal requires treatment, please bring the injured native animal to the Zoo’s front entrance.

Our Visitor Advisors will direct you straight to The Nest Te Kōhanga, where someone from the Veterinary Team will see what we can do to help the animal.

For non-native species, call the Wellington SPCA on (04) 389 8044 to find out ways that you can help.