Stuck in the drain: Little Kiwi stuck in a sewer on the road to recovery

A small trapped brown kiwi is lucky to be alive after being rescued from a roadside culvert in Taranaki.

While it remains a mystery how the flightless bird got stuck in the gutter in early August, the North Island native brown kiwi owes its survival to two Downer road inspectors who found it during a routine inspection.

It will be several weeks before veterinarians at Massey University Wildbase Hospital, who are treating the injured kiwi, know if it has a long-term chance of survival.

Logan Turner and his colleague Isaak Ryan were inspecting sewers along State Highway 3 near Tongaporutu last month.

At first glance, Ryan didn’t see the bird, but the couple were surprised when a second glance revealed the kiwi and its plight.

After contacting their supervisor, the men called the Department of Conservation hotline to alert them and offer them information on the tools needed to remove the metal grill to reach the trapped bird.

A ranger was sent to the sewer to retrieve the affected bird.

Dressed in overalls and elbow-length bird handling gloves, Alison Evans climbed into the gully that led to the sewer and scooped out the kiwi to safety.

“He had no objection to being picked up and seemed almost relieved to be rescued. He was underweight, cold and suffering from exhaustion,” Evans said.

“The sewer was a pretty inhospitable place to be incarcerated, with large trucks going at open highway speeds just feet away and water at the bottom of the sump.”

The emaciated and battered bird was transported to Massey University Wildbase Hospital, where staff began immediate treatment to keep it alive.

The kiwi had been trying to escape in vain with nails in each of its feet worn to the bone.

“This kiwi is a fighter! We are happy to report that the little superstar is eating well in the hospital and after the first week, when he was in touch and ready, he has started venturing around his room, working out, foraging and winning much”. needed weight. But it’s going to be a long journey, “said Wildbase Hospital Supervisor Pauline Nijman.

So far the kiwi has had several weeks of care, including several “pedicures” to clean the nail and bone, x-rays and blood samples.

The injured bird had no leg bands or microchip, suggesting it was a wild kiwi and was not bred in captivity or released in the conservation area.

If it can be returned to the wild, DoC will contact iwi on the arrangements.

It will be several weeks before Wildbase vets know if the kiwi has a chance of long-term survival.

Evans said she was very grateful that Downer staff took the initiative to call the department’s hotline when they saw the kiwi was in trouble.

“We all have an obligation to be on the lookout for injured native wildlife and this kiwi was very fortunate to be found alive.