26 Oct 2017

Arthur's Pass kea heads to hospital with lead poisoning

From Morning Report, 8:55 am on 26 October 2017

It's been a big week for the kea, named on Tuesday as the winner of the 2017 Bird of the Year contest. But it hasn't been the best of weeks for all of the alpine parrots. A kea with lead poisoning has been taken to a wildlife hospital in Christchurch by police after it was seen vomiting in Arthur's Pass. Conservationists are keen to catch and treat another kea in the same area, which is also showing signs of the illness. Laura Young is a member of the Arthur's Pass Kea Team and joins us to explain the case.