Hunt on for killers of Tapuaetahi kiwi

Five dead kiwi found on Tapuaetahi Beach, on the Purerua Peninsula, in February are believed to have been killed by dogs.

The incident, only just come to light, follows a series of similar attacks in the Bay of Islands since 2015.

Adrian Walker, senior biodiversity ranger from the Department of Conservation’s Bay of Islands office, said initial examinations showed the kiwi were attacked by a dog or dogs. The birds had been sent away for DNA testing and post-mortem examinations.

DoC was “very disappointed”, and the Tapuaetahi community was upset to lose five of its kiwi.

“The community has been very helpful, and we are working with the Far North District Council’s animal control team to identify the dog, or dogs, and the owners responsible,” Walker said.

“We urge all dog owners to ensure they know where their dogs are at all times given the risk they pose to kiwi when they are uncontrolled. Offending dog owners can face court charges, and risk losing their dog as well.

“There is often a pattern of dogs being seen out and about before incidents occur, so communities are the first line of defence in preventing dog attacks on wildlife.”

Anyone who saw an uncontrolled dog in a kiwi zone could pick it up, if it was safe to do so, and hand it over to a council animal control officer (phone 0800 920 029). Or they could try to follow the dog home to find where it lived, or alert the local hapu¯ , landcare group, council or DoC.