Manukua—the first white Kiwi ever hatched in captivity, and currently the only one known to exist in the world—underwent surgery last week to remove stones from her gizzard. Now it would seem that she’s on the road to recovery. New Scientist’s Charles Harvey writes:
Staff at Pukaha Mount Bruce wildlife centre on New Zealand’s North Island spotted Manukura’s trouble when she started refusing to eat and moving strangely.
X-rays taken at Wellington Zoo revealed the problem. While kiwis often swallow small stones to help break down hard-to-digest foods, Manukua had swallowed stones too large to pass safely through her digestive tract.
You can check out the video of the surgical procedure here.
[Via New Scientist + BBC]
Top image by Mike Heydon via New Scientist
Manukua and vet via
