Stitches

This 4-year old yellow-eyed penguin female owes her life to our wonderful St Kilda's vet team. She had the most horrid cut to her left hip that they stitched up beautifully. She needed rehab after her operation and we saw her also through the moult. About 6 weeks after her release we found her again in the colony weighing a mere 3kg and brought her back into rehab. Her wound had healed but she had obviously some trouble still - post-traumatic stress maybe? It is a beautiful example how monitoring our colonies even in winter for birds like her and others can prevent their death well after all the vet and rehab work is done (or appears to be done!).
A year ago Stitches had found a mate and laid a couple of eggs but the chicks did not survive. She has survived the last 12 months very well making it through the moult unassisted and here she is again with two eggs. She is a survivor and will soon be mum to a couple of chicks.
Thank you, St Kilda vets - this one is your success story!

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