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Source: ONE News -
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A stranded albatross left battered and bruised by Wellington's wild weather last week has been released back into the wild by Wellington Zoo staff.
It is hoped the bird will return to the chick she may have left behind.
The albatross was blown into a Wainuiomata garden during the freak storm in Wellington on Friday.
Test results indicated that the female bird may have strained a little bit in the storm and that it is also possible she bruised her muscles, Dr Francois Lampen, head veterinarian at Wellington Zoo, told ONE News.
Lampen was anxious to have the bird freed from captivity, saying that long periods of captivity are not good, given the birds stress easily.
The Department of Conservation believe the albatross may have come from as far away as Dunedin, where there is a large albatross colony.
The weather conditions at Wellington's Makara Beach were near perfect for the 7kg bird's release on Tuesday, where strong winds helped her gain enough elevation to get off the ground.
