October 2011 was like any other month for the first five days. After that, life changed for Bay of Plenty Wildlife researchers when the cargo ship MV Rena grounded on Astrolabe reef twenty kilometres offshore. 

Thick oil covered the coast, and Massey University activated their Oiled Wildlife Response Unit, of which several future trustees were members. Whilst the majority of the flying birds which came in to contact with the oil were victims, around 373 Little Penguins did survive and, with the efforts of hundreds of individuals calculated at over 1000 hours each, were returned to the cleaned up coastline a few months later. 

This was the first evidence that rehabilitation worked for oiled Little Penguins, and has now proven to the world that spillers are certainly bound to pay for rehabilitating oiled penguins.

This event gave rise to the idea that a Trust could be formed for the care and protection of all wildlife in this part of the Bay of Plenty. Western Bay Wildlife Trust has members that are expert at seabirds, shorebirds, bush birds, marine life and pest control.