About R&M Lupton

R&M Lupton Ltd is a small family business.  We are based in the Waikato, where we have a breeding and raising facility for leeches. We specialise in the supply of leeches to plastic surgery units throughout New Zealand.  
 
Having farmed in New Zealand most of our lives, we were always aware that we had blood-sucking leeches in our ponds.
 
In 1990, we had supplied Auckland Zoo with leeches and other creatures for a Creepy Crawly Exhibition.  This resulted in a newspaper article, which was seen by a plastic surgeon, who had used leeches overseas. He contacted us with an urgent request for leeches, which were gathered from a pond on our farm, put in an ice-cream bowl and couriered to the hospital.  The procedure on the patient was successful and the business slowly grew from there.  Today we use couriers to deliver leeches any where in New Zealand, though we no longer use ice-cream bowls.  We are able to offer a same day service to hospitals, seven days per week for all urgent orders.

Our leeches are clean but not sterile. We advise that the use of leeches always be under the supervision of a licensed medical practitioner. 

Due to our strict bio-security laws, leeches cannot be imported into New Zealand. Our leeches are not endangered and by breeding them the supply is sustainable into the future.