Wingspan staff fear one of the Rotorua Museum falcons might never return to her inner city roost, after its toe had to be amputated.
Two weeks ago volunteers monitoring the three karearea (New Zealand falcon) noticed Te Rangi Rere I Waho, known affectionately as "Maureen" after the late Maureen Waaka, was limping and looking generally unwell.
She was captured by staff from Wingspan, the National Bird of Prey Centre, and taken to Central City Vets in Rotorua for treatment. They found she had a significant abrasion on one of her legs and a smaller abrasion on one of her wings.
This week Wingspan staff noticed the tissue around a toe was starting to blacken.
"We were hoping it would only be from a knuckle down but the vet noticed the whole toe had to go," said Wingspan raptor aviculturalist Ineke Smets.