Hello friends and family Last Saturday I picked up our first patient for the 2018/19 season. He is a young male with an injured, bleeding flipper but under 5 Kgs so I kept him until yesterday, so he could fatten up a bit. I collected a blood sample, so we could check for Malaria. Sunday was busy with 7 volunteers working for the penguins and progress was made all round! On Monday while Jan and I were doing the trapline, we saw dolphins close in to the shore, heading north quickly, but not so fast that they could not manage a couple of flips. Tuesday was quiet and on Wednesday Jan, Robbie and I went for a walk in the Herbert forest and we visited the Waianakarua site for the first time. It is much bigger than I expected, and I see the first step as being fencing off a manageable area. There are serious issues there to challenge restoration, including a herd of goats and rampant hemlock. I have begun monitoring standing water for mosquito larvae. At this stage I am not treating any until I find living larvae. I have found dead ones in several places. We have finished most of the mosquito proofing of the hospital and now will fix the last issues and turn our attention to the pens both here and for soft release. Yesterday we worked to penguin music in both reserves as the birds called to each other and because spring has sprung!
Have a great week! Rosalie |
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August 2023
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