A weka is treated by a vet after losing its leg in a leg-hold trap used to catch possums.

A native New Zealand bird has returned to the wild after losing its leg in a trap in the Marlborough Sounds.

The weka was discovered by a member of the public with its left leg "virtually severed" after stepping on a leg-hold trap used to trap pest animals such as possums.

The weka was found near Havelock and was treated by a vet before being returned to its home at the weekend.

STUFF A leg-hold trap like the one that caught a weka near Havelock last month. (File photo)

Department of Conservation Sounds senior biodiversity ranger Phil Clerke said the weka's foot was barely hanging on to its leg when it was found about two weeks ago.

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"Its leg was only holding on by a little bit of skin so the remaining part of the leg basically fell off as she took it out of the trap," he said.

Clerke said he picked up the weka from the woman's house who found it and said despite losing its foot, the weka was in a pretty positive state.

"It was extremely perky to say the least to be honest. It was in a cardboard box and it was jumping up pretty high. Apparently it was actively eating food at that stage and all the time we had it, it carried on doing the same," he said.

"It lost its foot, the very lower part of its leg, but it could still actually use both legs to get around."

DOC was urging people to make sure leg-hold traps were raised off the ground in areas where there were weka.

Clerke said leg-hold traps should be set at least 700 millimetres off the ground to prevent weka getting caught in them.

"Weka are common in the Marlborough Sounds so leg-hold traps should always be raised off the ground in this area or in other places where there are weka and other ground-dwelling native birds," he said.

This could be done by using a small plank or running board where the trap sat at the top of the plank, and it was steep enough to stop weka walking up, Clerke said.

Weka often did not survive after getting caught in leg-hold traps, however this weka was lucky on this occasion, Clerke said.

"Weka have survived in the wild with part of a leg missing and given this weka's liveliness we expect it will do OK. But it's a shame the weka now has to go through life with one foot missing when it was avoidable," he said.

Catching weka in leg-hold traps was an offence under the Wildlife Act 1953 of hunting absolutely protected wildlife, when procedures weren't followed correctly.