Celebrity albatross chick in 'intensive care' after suffering fly-strike

DOC ranger Lyndon Perriman cleans maggots from the chick, closely watched by its mother RBK. Photo / Supplied

Dunedin's newest celebrity albatross chick has been rushed to intensive care.

The as-yet unnamed chick at the Taiaroa Head albatross colony was found to be flyblown on Monday, Otago Peninsula Trust marketing manager Sophie Barker said.

Maggots and eggs were removed, and an antiseptic cream used to clean the bird, but today it had dropped below its hatch weight, she said.

Rangers put the chick in intensive care to try to nurse it through, she said.

Barker said staff were keeping their "fingers crossed" the unnamed chick would survive.

"Prognosis? Praying," she said.

"You become so attached to them. We have watched the egg incubating for about 80 days and then the chick hatching.

"Yesterday there was a beautiful reunion when mum, RBK, came home and saw her chick for the first time."

The chick's parents have been given a foster chick in the meantime, which was visible on the
Department of Conservation' Royal cam live-streaming service.

The foster chick was moved from its own nest after having "a problem", she said.
Moana the chick, which featured on the Royal cam last year, attracted more than 600,000 views on Youtube.