Little blue penguin killed by thieves
A late-night raid by suspected smugglers on little blue penguins in Napier left one of the birds dead.
Sergeant Craig Vining, District Deployment Coordinator for Hawke’s Bay police, said three penguins were removed from their nests at Perfume Point, on Hardinge Rd in the suburb of Ahuriri, about 10.30pm on January 24.
One was killed in the process, and its body was left on the beach.
Vining said two groups of people were possibly involved in the thefts, including two older men and an older woman, along with ‘‘several’’ teenagers.
‘‘The offenders used a torch and a fishing-style gaff – hook on one end – to extract the penguins from their nests.
‘‘The stolen penguins were wrapped in towels, and the group left the area in a white, older-style four-door car in fairly rough condition.’’
The woman was described as having a large build and long hair, he said. One of the teenagers was also described as large, wearing a white T-shirt. The group were thought to be of Pacific Island descent.
‘‘Some of the group may have fished in the area before, or have ties to Ahuriri.’’
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has said previously that the woman was seen holding a torch while two men used a crowbar to capture three of the penguins/korora¯.
Rod Hansen, the department’s Hawke’s Bay compliance officer, said DOC suspected the crowbar was used to prise rocks off the penguin’s burrow, and then hook the birds out around the neck.
‘‘We are really concerned, as we believe this might not be a one-off. The very next day, another penguin/korora¯ was found dead floating nearby, and it appears it may have died from a head injury,’’ he said after the theft last month.
‘‘This is particularly disturbing, as it is a very vulnerable time of year for these wee penguins/korora¯. They moult from January to March, and stay in their burrows for protection. They are nocturnal animals, and the time this offence occurred in the evening further suggests the poachers knew exactly when best to target the birds.’’
Little blue penguins are found around the New Zealand coastline but their numbers are declining. They are protected, and people found committing offences can be jailed or fined up to $100,000.