Meet Demolition and Derby
When a local told us their old family Kaiteri holiday bach was being pulled down and that there were little blues nesting underneath it, a rescue plan was needed - fast!
We met the homeowner on site, sure enough, we could certainly hear (and smell!) penguins but we couldn’t be sure how many - 2? 4? Being the start of the breeding season we could safely assume that there would be either 1 or 2 pairs. But their exact location was difficult to pinpoint.
Later that day we set to with the homeowner to lift the floorboards. Of course the little blues weren’t fussed with all the activity so they kept moving around, resulting in lots of holes in the floor! Eventually we managed to uplift one pair, pop them safely into a carrier.
The bach was being demolished the next day and we were acutely aware that if we released the little blues they would return to the site and potentially be injured, or worse, by the digger. So the little blues were delivered to our amazing wildlife rehabber for a thorough health check and holiday until the site was cleared. We called them Demolition (she/her) and Derby (he/him) in recognition of their lucky escape.
Once their release day came around, we located a suitable site with a nest box to keep them safe while they acclimatized to their new location. CJ Industries were fantastic and kindly supplied pea gravel, perfect for the base of the nest box - thanks CJ’s!
In their own time, under the cover of darkness, D & D waddled their way down to the beach and the big blue sea to begin another adventure. Hopefully with less drama than their last one! We will keep a close eye on the nest box, hoping they will return there to lay eggs and raise chicks. Watch this space!
