A set of kororā (little blue penguins) were discovered dead on a Wellington beach recently, suffering “disastrous injuries” from a dog attack.
Warning: This story includes images some might discover troubling.
On their Facebook page, Forest and Bird – Places of Penguins published images of the brutalised birds at Oruaiti reserve, stating it was likely a doing that killed them.
“A necropsy carried out by the veterinarians at Wellington Zoo revealed disastrous internal injuries and several leak injuries, suggesting the cause of death matched that of a dog attack,” the post read.
The set were male and female, with Forest and Bird stating they were a “healthy” weight and most likely to be preparing for the upcoming breeding season.
It’s the 2nd time in 2 months kororā have actually been killed on beaches near Wellington, with Forest and Bird using a cautioning to dog owners.
“This is the 2nd time in as lots of months that this awful death has actually taken place as an outcome of a dog and reckless dog ownership.
“Places for Penguins, in cooperation with numerous other devoted groups and people, are working towards producing much better, more clear signs around our coasts and reviewing locations where dogs are permitted off lead for the security of our wildlife.
“We cannot enable these catastrophes to continue to take place.”
It is asking anybody who discovers dead penguins to get in touch with DOC and Places for Penguins.
