In a Facebook post last week, zoo staff said Foxglove was expected to make a full recovery, after she was brought into the zoo last month appearing cold, lethargic, and with trouble opening her right wing.
The zoo’s visitors operations manager, Joe Henderson, announced today that Foxglove was the third distinguished graduate of Hamilton Zoo’s Top Bat Flying School.
She underwent X-rays, which showed no broken bones, and the vet team started a personalised treatment plan, including cold laser therapy, physiotherapy, and flying practice.
Henderson said the vet team converted a section of its clinic to ensure suitable recovery for pekapeka to recover and practice flying.
“We bat-proofed our treatment room [once again] to give Foxglove plenty of space to fly around, and pit-stops to rest. This enabled her to practice all the behaviours and manoeuvres we would expect of a fully fit pekapeka.
This New Zealand native bat/pekapeka, was discovered in a goldfish pond on February 16. Photo / Hamilton Zoo
“[This] has given us every confidence she is ready to face the world.”
With Foxlgove recovering well, Henderson raved about the bat, saying she was so popular with staff, they had to schedule a time to see her.
“Foxglove has become a fast favourite of the staff directly caring for her and the broader zoo team, so much so that our vet team had to come up with a safe way to manage the significant staff interest.
“This resulted in a booking form with times to see Foxglove which has been completely sold-out since. It’s exciting for our team as it’s our third successful pekapeka rehabilitation in the last three years.”
He said before them, a pekapeka needing medical help didn’t last two days in captivity, so Foxglove’s achievement and the team’s effort was commendable.
Foxglove was found in a goldfish pond on a private Te Aroha property and brought to the zoo for vet care and rehabilitation, on the advice of the Department of Conservation (DoC).
She was warmed up in an incubator, given pain relief, food, and glucose, and also a name - Foxglove.
Henderson said the team is now preparing for her return to the wild.
“We are all very heartened to see her progress, and I’m sure we will be feeling a mixture of sadness and elation when she is released.”
Foxglove will be released from rehabilitation and back into the wild on Tuesday evening, March 12.
Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne.
