Ridley the lost sea turtle's prognosis has gone from critical to good, but it could still take up to two years before she has enough strength to be released into the wild.
The northern hemisphere reptile has been recovering at Wellington Zoo after she washed up almost dead on Lyall Bay beach earlier this month, and could be strong enough to be moved to Kelly Tarlton's next week.
Faced with hypothermia and a break in her shell, Ridley's road to recovery has so far seen her eating solid food again, swimming, being more active and "showing her stroppy side".
She's being fed fresh fish and leafy green vegetables with medical forceps so staff don't get their hands close to her strong jaw.
The zoo's veterinary science manager Dr Lisa Argilla says the break in Ridley's shell, which exposed the bone, will take a long time to heal and her team is keeping an eye on her in case it has led to blood poisoning.
"But based on her demeanour, we're confident that she's almost fit enough to make her move," she says.
Kelly Tarlton's has large saltwater tanks for Ridley to swim in, and also has the expertise to manage her continuing rehabilitation to get her ready to return to the warmer waters she's used to.
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