Kelly, the albatross. Photo: Facebook / Petone Beach Clean Up Crew
Three exhausted and injured albatrosses are recuperating at Wellington Zoo after being rescued during this week's wild weather.
Nikita, who works at a local veterinary clinic, said they got a call on Thursday afternoon to say there was a huge albatross on the Petone foreshore, so she raced down to help.
"[It] was struggling and had a sore wing. I had dealt with an albatross once before.
"So I put a towel over him, in the 140 kilometre-an-hour winds, the horrible storm that was happening and then picked him up, ran to my car and got a bit munched, along the way.
"My hand is a bit bung now but I learned my lesson."
Andy the albatross was rescued from the Petone foreshore. Photo: Supplied / Nikita
The albatross was so large it needed to go into a medium-sized dog crate, she said.
On Thursday night a second albatross was brought into the vet clinic, while on Friday Nikita rescued a third albatross on the Petone foreshore after a beach clean-up crew spotted it struggling.
"This wasn't my first rodeo, so I raced down to try and help. By the time I got there, I think he had tried to fly off so they lost sight of him."
Terry the albatross was brought into Nikita's vet clinic by a member of the public. Photo: Supplied / Nikita
Nikita looked up and spotted the albatross "waddling down" Petone Wharf, which has been closed to the public since 2021 due to safety concerns.
The intrepid trainee vet nurse "shimmied" onto the wharf, managing to catch the rare bird before it went too far, she said.
This time, Nikita used veterinarian safety gloves to gently wrap it in a blanket and put it in a crate.
The albatross has since been given the gender-neutral name Kelly.
Kelly, the albatross, was found waddling down Petone Wharf. Photo: Supplied / Nikita
"We don't know if it's a girl or a boy but, oh my god, I love him."
Albatross, the world's largest flying seabirds, spend at least 85 percent of their lives at sea only returning to land. They are uncommon in Wellington.
All three albatrosses are being looked after by Wellington Zoo's wildlife rehabilitation centre, Te Kōhanga.
The Department of Conservation said anyone who finds a sick or injured native bird should contact its emergency hotline, 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
Nikita asked to be identified by her first name only, citing privacy concerns.
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