These Little “Moss Chicks” Learning To Walk Are The Sweetest Thing You'll Be Inspired By Today

There are only 199 of them left in the world so this is a treasure to observe.

Damjan

• Published in Animals
• May 7, 2022

The Wildlife Hospital in Dunedin, New Zealand, is dedicated to the care of the country's indigenous animals. They accommodate a wide range of species, including reptiles, parrots, penguins, and sea lions.

Everyone at the hospital enjoys working with the animals that come in, but the kākāpō chicks are their favorite. The moss chickens, also known as kākāpō, are big, flightless, ground-dwelling, nocturnal parrots native to New Zealand.

They're one-of-a-kind birds that are also endangered, so everyone in the hospital, especially the babies, keeps a watchful check on the kākāpō in the neighborhood. They have a lot of experience raising chicks, so anytime there are kākāpō in need of assistance, they are frequently transported to Dunedin.

They recently took in many baby moss chickens and are striving to strengthen them so they can be released back into the environment.

“They were brought in from the wild for a few different reasons,” Jordana Whyte, trust manager at The Wildlife Hospital, Dunedin, says. “Two of them have broken legs … Five of the chicks have a fungal disease called aspergillosis which causes respiratory issues. This is a naturally occurring disease and we do expect to see some of it during a major kākāpō breeding season."

One of the chicks also has a strange problem:

"We have one chick that just … didn't know exactly how to kākāpō? There's nothing wrong with him, medically speaking. He's just not quite gotten the hang of things and the team at the Department of Conservation thought it would be better for him to get some extra attention with us,” Whyte added.

These tiny moss chickens are full of character. The team just recorded several of the ladies learning to walk, and the results are really lovely.

“They are just getting to the age where they are becoming total clowns,” Whyte said. “They are goofy and irresistible. We have one that is really grumpy and sensitive; one that is obsessed with trying to bite the toes of our vets and vet nurses; one that is startled by EVERYTHING — we call him Scooby — which is completely ridiculous; and others that are just generally awkward and wonderful. We will get to know them all personally by the end of their stay with us.”

The chicks at the hospital are currently between the ages of 5 and 8, and they are all learning the skills they will need to thrive in the wild. The staff is ecstatic to get to work with these adorable tiny birds and enjoys watching them develop.

Kākāpō, nicknamed moss chickens, are large, flightless, ground-dwelling, nocturnal parrots native to New Zealand.

“I can't overstate what a privilege it is to work with these incredibly endangered birds,” Whyte added. “The chicks we've had since they were very tiny are especially rewarding to watch get bigger and stronger. We enjoy seeing their personalities come out, or achieve something like not falling over when trying to walk across the pen for the first time.”

There are presently only 199 kākāpōs left in the world.

They are learning skills they need to survive in the wilderness

Around 80% of New Zealand's natural species are threatened with extinction, and the kākāpō is no exception. There are presently only 199 kākāpōs left in the world.

However, the crew at The Wildlife Hospital in Dunedin is doing everything they can to care for these animals, so the moss chickens should be around for a long time.

Damjan