Native gull euthanised after being shot in shoulder
A protected native gull with a bullet in its shoulder had to be euthanised after 24 hours in supportive care at Wellington Zoo.
The tara¯punga, otherwise known as the red-billed gull, is legally protected, a taonga species for South Island iwi Nga¯i Tahu.
Nationally, there are now fewer than 100,000 red-billed gulls, and over the next 30 years numbers are expected to fall by between 50 and 70 per cent, according to the Department of Conservation.
Hunting or killing protected wildlife carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $100,000, or both.
Wellington Zoo senior veterinarian Baukje Lenting said the bullet in the bird’s shoulder was ‘‘a very disappointing find’’.
The off-duty zoo staff who found the bird and brought it in had no trouble catching it. It couldn’t fly, and was weak and thin.
When Lenting examined the bird she found a small, healing wound on its right shoulder. They put it into supportive care for 24 hours, rehydrating and feeding it chopped up fish and vitamins.
After 24 hours, Lenting could see the joint had been too badly damaged. The gull would never fly again, and would be in constant pain, so the decision was made to euthanise it.
Sometimes it was possible to tell what kind of weapon had caused the injury, but in this case Lenting was unable to tell what kind of firearm was used.
The zoo had another red-billed gull as a patient this week – a success story. It was transferred from the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust, and was released at Aotea Lagoon where it was found.
In the last three years Lenting had also treated a variable oyster catcher and a paradise duck for bullet wounds.
After an incident in March last year, where a red-billed gull was spotted with an arrow or crossbow bolt through its chest, DOC South Marlborough operations manager Phil Bradfield said DOC took harming these birds seriously.
‘‘As red-billed gulls are commonly seen in coastal areas, many people don’t realise that their numbers are declining nationally. The species currently has a conservation status of ‘at-risk: declining’.’’
A Kaiko¯ura man was convicted for killing nine red-billed gulls when he drove over them on Kaiko¯ura wharf last June. He pleaded guilty to hunting or killing absolutely protected wildlife in breach of the Wildlife Act 1953, and was sentenced to three months’ community detention.