New equipment will enable vets and conservationists to deliver rapid-response healthcare to critically endangered animals.

Thanks to direct donations to Perth Zoo’s conservation fund, a newly purchased i-Stat Alinty device will provide live blood results in the field when working with critically endangered species. 

The handheld blood analyser delivers lab quality diagnostic results in minutes, using only a few drops of blood. 

Multiple blood tests can be run on a very small sample of blood – this comes in very handy when the patient is a Western Ground Parrot weighing under 100g!

The i-Stat Alinty is portable and produces results immediately, allowing samples to be taken in remote field locations. 

Perth Zoo Veterinary Department Manager Simon Hollamby said: “This analyser plays a role in greatly improving welfare outcomes for animals here at the Zoo, by increasing our diagnostic capacity, and in some cases, the speed in which decisions can be made. 

“With the i-STAT Alinity V blood analyser, the Zoo’s vet department will continue to be at the forefront of change.

"All of the animals here at the Zoo and the wildlife of WA will benefit greatly from this much appreciated donation.”

This technology could speedily identify the need for life-saving treatment for critically endangered species like the Western Ground Parrot, and with only around 150 Western Ground Parrots left in the wild, every individual counts!

“It will help us compare results from wild and captive birds, which tells us more about how Western Ground Parrots live in the wild,” Simon said. 

“This provides valuable information and helps us improve welfare outcomes and decision making for both wild and captive parrots.”

The Western Ground Parrot is a mysterious and elusive species, meaning every bit of scientific information gathered can help inform the best strategies to save them. 

There is an estimated 150 individuals left in the wild, found in Cape Arid National Park and Nuytsland Nature Reserve. 

Perth Zoo works as part of a team within the Western Ground Parrot Recovery Project to save this critically endangered species.

Working in collaboration with DBCA’s Parks and Wildlife Service, the Zoo coordinates  the captive breeding and reproductive  biology efforts to ensure the Western Ground Parrot does not disappear. 

You can help this vital work to continue and stand with us on the frontline of conservation.  All donations $2 or more are tax deductible and every dollar directly supports wildlife. 

Donate to Perth Zoo today and become a courageous champion for wildlife.