Lisa Argilla

Argilla was born in South Africa, and grew up in Durban; she always wanted to be a bird veterinarian.^[1][2] She failed to get a place to study veterinary medicine at the University of Pretoria, so took a degree in animal and wildlife science.^[1] She then worked as a zookeeper at a bird park in Durban, before the family emigrated to Australia in 2001.^[1] Later moving to New Zealand, Argilla successfully applied to study veterinary medicine at Massey University.^[1] Argilla volunteered at wildlife rehabilitation centre Wildbase during her studies, and then returned to Australia to work in private practice.^[1] Returning once again to New Zealand, Argilla completed a Master of Veterinary Science degree at Massey University in 2015. Her thesis was titled An investigation of the causes of mortality in yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) across their range with specific emphasis on the role played by Leucocytozoon.^[3]

Argilla was manager of Wellington Zoo's veterinary hospital for five years, where she treated an emperor penguin that became known as Happy Feet.^[1][4] Argilla treated penguins that had been flown up from the South Island, but found she was often euthanising birds for injuries that if treated earlier would have been survivable.^[1] In 2016 she began running pop-up clinics in Dunedin in collaboration with the Veterinary Nursing School at Otago Polytechnic, and in 2018, opened the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital.^[1][4] The hospital often treats and hand rears kākāpo, and partners with AgResearch to access equipment such as CAT scanners for diagnosis.^[5] In 2022, the hospital achieved a world first in successfully incubating and hatching eggs from the endangered yellow-eyed penguin, the hoiho.^[6]

Argilla is president of the New Zealand Veterinary Association’s Wildlife Society.^[2]

In the 2021 New Year's Honours, Argilla was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to animal welfare and conservation.^[7]