The West Coast Wildlife Center is one of a few attractions in the small town center of Franz Josef. Known for the Tuatara and Kiwi exhibits and hatching program. The Wildlife Center is one of the various programs around the country that DOC sends Kiwi eggs to every Spring. Thousands of tourists make their way to the Center to see the hatchlings on days when the weather is too bad to take the helicopters up to the to the main tourists attraction in the area, the Frans Josef glacier.

Steven Surtees is a Ranger at the  Wildlife Center. He is an electrician by trade, but still works part-time at the wildlife center. "I installed a few  lights in the kiwi exhibit," he said. The only lights in the exhibit are dim and red as to not disturb the  nocturnal, flightless, birds. There were two  North Island Brown Kiwi behind a half wall of glass, a bit taller than waist height. The UV lights that keep the foliage, mimicking the habitat of the kiwis,  were installed by Mr. Surtees. One of the year's hatchlings is named Sammy, after the Surtees' late partner Samantha.  "They offered me a full-time job, but I turned it down because it's a bit much as a job. For me, this is a hobby," he said. After falling in love with the wild West Coast  region during a 6-month biking trip up the coast of the South Island, Franz Josef has become a quite place to to call home for Surtees.

Conservation efforts across the country increasingly rely on Rangers and partner organizations like Surtees and the Wildlife Center to help fill the gaps as government resources reach their limits. "The Department of Conservation has a lot to do, but is cutting back on jobs, which is a pain, but they are also cutting back on funding, which is even harder. This place is owned privately, but we depend on the Department of Conservation to determine how many eggs we get and how many chicks we can have on display and for how long."  

Most people come to the area to see the glacier and the wildlife center benefits from the traffic, but also gives people a place to go when the weather is too bad to take a helicopter up to get a closer look at the glacier. When funding relies on tourism, it can become a feast-or-famine situation."I think generally in the winter [the Center is] lucky to do $2,000 a day, but during the summer we can do up to $30,000."