West Coast Wildlife Centre

05/04/2026

Hoppy Easter from the cutest little flock 🐣🐧💛

Who needs the Easter Bunny when you’ve got penguins dressed to impress?
All gathered up, looking fluffy, festive, and just a little bit cheeky… we think they might’ve found all the eggs already 👀🥚✨

Celebrate Easter Sunday with us and our adorable crew — because nothing says joy like tiny feet, happy flippers, and a whole lot of cuteness 💙

Don’t miss feeding time at 11am & 3pm… they’ll be extra excited today! 🐟

02/04/2026

From barely surviving… to becoming a symbol of hope 🐧

Meet Pebble 💛
Found alone, injured, and missing a flipper off Whangamata—she defied the odds.

Her story? Resilience. Healing. New beginnings.

She was the first penguin to pick fish straight off the ground, the first to confidently feed from the pool, and now? She’s one of the quickest swimmers — often the first to grab her fish at feeding time!

Small but fearless, Pebbles proves that even after the toughest start, you can still come out strong, bold, and full of life.

👉If she warmed your heart, leave a ❤️ and share her with your friends and family 🫶

💙 Come and visit us at the Wildlife Centre!
We’re open daily from 8am to 7pm, with penguin feeding times at 11am and 3pm.

Come say hi to our little warrior 🐧💙

26/03/2026

🌊🐧 Splashing into Fun! Meet Bridge and Stumpy, the newest stars of our penguin family! After some time settling in, these two adventurous little waddlers are finally taking a dip in the pool.

From playful dives to cheeky splashes, they’re already fitting right in and making friends with the gang. It looks like they were born to be part of the fun! 💦💙

Come by and watch their adorable antics—our attraction is open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM, with penguin feeding times at 11 AM and 3 PM. Bridge and Stumpy are ready to steal your hearts, one waddle at a time. 🐧✨

19/03/2026

Ka kite ano, Phoenix! 🐦‍🔥

Today brings an end to the Operation Nest Egg kiwi hatching season. Our third and final Haast tokoeka chick, Phoenix, takes flight inbound to Orokonui Ecosanctuary, care of the Department of Conservation and Air New Zealand. He joins our two previous hatches – Cesi and Carter. At Orokonui, these three kiwi will grow up without the challenges of introduced predators – before being released back in the forests of Haast when they are big and strong enough to defend themselves. Go well, kiwi!

01/03/2026

Moult season: officially complete ✔️🐧

All seven of our kororā are back together — feathers looking bright and clean! Koru has just finished her moult yesterday, marking the end of moulting season for our little blue crew.
The annual moult is quite an event. Over about 2–3 weeks they shed all their old feathers and grow a brand new waterproof coat — which means no swimming or fishing during that time while they stay safely on land living off their fat reserves.
Now that fresh feathers are in, it’s back to business as usual, a good preen in their favourite corner!

24/02/2026

🐧✨ BIG NEWS at the West Coast Wildlife Centre! ✨🐧

On the 17th of February, two very special little VIPs arrived all the way from Auckland and picked up at Christchurch— meet our two little boys -Bridge and Stumpy 💙

Bridge has quite the story… he was found in heavy traffic on the Auckland Harbour Bridge off-ramp (yes, really!) and is missing a flipper, believed to be from a predatory fish attack. He may be a little bitey at times, but hey — he’s a survivor with attitude! 💪🐧

Stumpy, our adorable little gentleman from the Bay of Plenty region, is also missing a flipper. Despite the challenges they’ve faced, both boys are resilient, cheeky, and full of personality.

They’re currently in quarantine for health checks and settling into their new home. You’ll be able to meet them in just 3 weeks — and trust us, you won’t want to miss it 👀

We’ll be sharing updates, behind-the-scenes moments, and their journey as they prepare to meet you all. Stay tuned!

📍 Open daily 9am–7pm
🐧 Penguin feeding times: 11am & 3pm

Come say hello and support these incredible little warriors 💙

10/02/2026

Our kororā love their new pool matting! A massive thanks to NZ Safety Blackwoods for donating this Aqua Tube Matting to keep the feet of our penguins happy and healthy. A soft surface option is an important part of penguin care – it prevents any nasty sores forming from abrasion or pressure. Anakin, Pebbles, Boo and Katy are enjoying it (and our keepers are enjoying how easy it is to clean).

💙 All funds donated directly support the care of our kororā and other animals at the wildlife centre, helping us provide the best possible habitat, treatment and rehabilitation.

🕘 Viewing opens 9am–7pm daily

07/02/2026

🐦 A rare and exciting moment for conservation!

A Southern Brown Kiwi (Tokoeka) from the Haast region has laid two eggs this season — an uncommon event for the species. With the local population sitting at only around 400 birds, every egg truly counts. We’re proud to play a role in protecting and incubating these precious taonga. 💚

👉 Read more via RNZ: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/586093/southern-brown-kiwi-lays-rare-two-eggs

A Tokoeka has surprised conservation workers with laying two eggs this season.

02/02/2026

A new kiwi egg has arrived! 🥚

This Haast tokoeka egg is a younger sibling of our first egg for the season. Tokoeka usually lay just one massive egg each year – making this kiwi mum extra impressive.

The arrival is followed by a brief movement check - the egg that arrived in was late stage incubation -around 70 days old -and the chick often responds to a whistle by moving in their shell.Listen closely ?! .The team candle the egg to check development and energy levels.The hatch is following soon! Stay tuned 👀

12/01/2026

Meet Flipper 🐧
Survivor of a dog strike.
New swimmer (only two weeks in!).
Professional messy-feather model 😆

Her preening isn’t quite there yet, but over the last six weeks she’s been slowly reconnecting with the rest of the penguin crew—and making her way back to where she belongs.

Small steps. Big courage.
Watch this space… 💙✨

✨ Want to meet Flipper in real life?
Come visit us at West Coast Wildlife Centre, open every day from 9am–7pm.
🐟 Penguin feeding times are 11am & 3pm.

Every visit helps support Flipper and her penguin friends—your ticket truly makes a difference 💙🐧

04/01/2026

Boo’s Big Moult Mood Swing 🐟➡️🏊‍♀️➡️📦

Meet Boo — our cutest little penguin currently going through her moulty mood era 🐧✨.

Boo has just started moulting, which means she’s still figuring out life’s biggest question: Do I eat all the fish… or do I hide in my nest box forever?

During our 11am feeding, Boo bravely came out, grabbed herself a few fish (priorities), then suddenly decided it was the perfect time for a quick splash in the pool 🏊‍♀️💦 — only to immediately scurry back into her nest box like, “Nope, that’s enough peopling for today.”

Fish ✔️
Swim ✔️
Socialising ❌

Moulting season is hard work, and Boo is doing it her own adorable way 💙🐟.

Come and visit us! Attraction open daily: 9am–7pm. Penguin feeding times: 11am & 3pm.

26/12/2025

Ka kite ano, Cesi & Carter! Department of Conservation rangers completed the transfer of these two Haast tokoeka hatched and reared here to Orokonui Ecosanctuary as part of Operation Nest Egg. These taonga will live in a predator-free environment until they are large enough to defend themselves against introduced rats and stoats - before an eventual release back in their home range. We’ll be cheering them on every step of the way.