Zoo gatecrasher finds safe nest

The baby great egret named Puffin is being hand-reared by zoo staff after recently being found in zoo grounds.

The chick had minor injuries, was treated by zoo vets and nursed to good health.

Perth Zoo senior veterinary nurse Peta Moore said Puffin would eventually be placed in the zoo’s wetland as a companion to another egret.

‘The Perth Zoo grounds are home to the only great egret breeding rookery in the Perth metropolitan area, so the colony is of conservation significance,” she said.

‘These birds use the zoo grounds as a safe haven for breeding and roosting and use the nearby estuaries for feeding.

‘Great egret chicks are voracious feeders, sometimes consuming up to 20 per cent of their body weight in one meal. Puffin is no exception and is definitely enjoying his four-hourly feeds.’