Albatross eggs stolen from Otago colony

Four albatross/toroa eggs have been stolen from their nests at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula – the world’s only mainland royal albatross breeding colony. The missing eggs were noticed as part of a routine walk, Department of Conservation (DOC) Coastal Otago operations manager Annie Wallace said. ‘‘This is a very unusual event – the colony has been managed and monitored for years, and it’s strange for eggs to disappear without a trace.’’ DOC staff and police were investigating, supported by the Royal Albatross Centre staff and mana whenua. Toroa are nationally vulnerable and threatened by climate change, fishing practices, plastic pollution and habitat loss.