Wellington Zoo’s search for sock owner

Wellington Zoo sees its fair share of lost property, but a small green sock took things to a new level for one curious Emu.

A visitor alerted staff that a lone sock was scooped up by Georgia the Emu in the Neighbours Australian exhibit, who mistook it for a tasty morsel.

“Emus generally eat a variety of plants and insects, and play an important role in seed dispersal – but a sock is pretty unusual,” said Dr Lisa Argilla.

“Like many animals, Emus are curious birds and will explore new items in their environment,” said Dr Lisa Argilla, Veterinary Science Manager at Wellington Zoo. “Unfortunately, sometimes this includes things which are unhealthy for them to eat. It shows how important it is to make sure we keep belongings with us, clean up after ourselves and leave natural environments as we find them.”

Scans revealed that the sock was sitting in part of her digestive tract, but not causing issues as it was not stopping food from getting through. However, the vet team took swift action to ensure that it was removed before making its way into her intestines.

“While we could see that the sock wasn’t causing her any problems at this point, it was important to remove it. Without attention, it could have moved into her intestines and caused a blockage.”

Dr Argilla and her team performed an endoscopy to remove the sock. This involved using a gastroscope which is a large endoscope with a camera specifically designed for examining the gastrointestinal tract. Using this equipment meant the vets could visualise the sock and guide the foreign body removal forceps to grasp the sock and remove it from her stomach.

“Georgia is doing fine after the procedure – and her appetite is just as keen as usual,” said Dr Argilla. “She won’t need any further treatment.”

“We encourage all visitors to make sure they keep their belongings with them – not only while at the Zoo, but also if you’re out exploring the rest of our environment.”

The missing sock is available for collection at Wellington Zoo – although it might require some laundering after its misadventure.

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