Kākāpō to head home from Auckland Zoo after lengthy battle with deadly disease

Danielle Clent15:38, Feb 04 2020

CHRIS MCKEEN/STUFF

Margaret Maree, a kākāpō from Codfish Island, has survived her battle with a potentially fatal fungal lung infection.

After eight months of battling a rare and deadly disease, 34-year-old kākāpō Margaret Maree is finally heading home.

She was one of 12 kākāpō treated by Auckland Zoo after an outbreak of aspergillosis - a mould or fungus that infects the lungs - on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island.

Nearly 50 of the critically endangered birds were brought to the mainland from Whenua Hou, near Stewart Island, to be assessed after the outbreak last year.

A total of 21 birds were diagnosed with the disease. Nine died, including three at Auckland Zoo.

On January 30, Margaret Maree had her seventh CT scan at Veterinary Specialists Auckland in Mt Wellington after being brought to the zoo in May for treatment.

Test results have given Margaret Maree the all clear and she will return to her home with another kākāpō on Wednesday.

Senior veterinarian for Auckland Zoo, Dr An Pas, said staff were very pleased that she could go home after a "long and challenging" period.

"Being able to send the last two kākāpō home, one of these being Margaret Maree, one of the founder birds, after so many months of intensive treatment for her, feels great.

Continued