A little blue penguin or kororā (File image). Photo: RNZ
The Department of Conservation says it is frustrated by a "completely avoidable" dog attack that left three little blue penguins dead in Wellington.
The three kororā were found dead due to suspected dog attacks at Evans Bay Marina in Wellington last week.
Although Wellington City Council recently erected fencing and a sign warning of fines for unleashed dogs, an eyewitness saw a dog near penguin nesting boxes within the fenced area.
The witness heard one of the penguins being attacked and, although they tried to scare the dog away, it was too late.
DOC operations manager for Kapiti-Wellington Angus Hulme-Moir said the team was shocked.
"There is a whole community who are deeply upset by the deaths of these kororā. These are beautiful birds whose habitat and home we share, and an easy way for us to do this is to leash dogs in designated areas.
"If you are unsure about dog access in a particular area, check with the nearest local council or DOC office or before you set out."
"There are plenty of areas where dogs are allowed to remain unleashed, where they don't pose a risk to wildlife; if you want to keep your dog off leash, just go there instead."
All three kororā found last week were microchipped, and part of an established colony monitored by Places for Penguins volunteers in the area, he said.
Hulme-Moir said the team were deeply frustrated by the lack of dog control in the Wellington region.
DOC said eight penguins have been confirmed as being killed by dogs, and while the cause of deaths for a further seven birds were unconfirmed, they sustained injuries consistent with dog attacks.
Wellington City Council said dog attacks on nesting kororā were rising.
Its urban ecology manager Daniela Biaggio said there had been too many avoidable kororā deaths over the last few years, and efforts needed to be reinvigorated to protect them.
"We know no dog owners or other members of the public want to be responsible for the death of kororā, and just small actions can help avoid this.
"Keep dogs on a lead everywhere unless it's a designated off-leash area in which case they still need to be under control and supervised by the owner, be careful with discarded fishing gear, take care when driving around our coastlines at night and look out for our little blue pedestrians, and together we can help them thrive."
If dog access rules or conditions were ignored, an infringement fine may be issued or owners could be prosecuted, DOC said.
A dog could also be seized and impounded or destroyed if it was found in a controlled dog area without a permit.
To report roaming dogs in protected areas, the council asked the public to call the dog control team on 04 499 4444.
