Kororā (little penguin). Photo by John Cockrem. Photo:
Four endangered little blue penguins/kororā have died due to suspected dog attacks in Wellington within the last month.
A breeding pair of kororā died at Evans Bay Marina on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, a chick returning to Places for Penguins' Island Bay site to breed for the first time was killed.
Another was only a metre away from the safety of its natural burrow in the rock wall at Lyall Bay when it was attacked.
A necropsy done by The Nest/Te Kōhanga at Wellington Zoo revealed two puncture wounds and a severed spine.
The first of the four was attacked and killed late last month.
One of the dead kororā. Photo: Supplied / Forest and Bird - Places for Penguins
Shannon Ritter from Places for Penguins, a Forest and Bird project that provides places for kororā to breed around the south coast of Wellington, said the impact that these deaths have on the breeding population is devastating.
"These two most recent deaths were microchipped, so we knew who they are," she said.
"They're from a little colony in Evans Bay, and successfully raised two chicks last year.
"They were going to come back this year, and hopefully raise another two chicks, so that is a devastating effect on the colony size - taking out a full breeding pair."
While these deaths could have been prevented by keeping a dog under control, including on a lead, she said there needed to be more clear signage.
"It's either not super clear on what the regulations are, or there's not enough signage," she said.
"For example, the one in Island Bay, there are not any signs around that area specifiying that it is a dog-on-lead only area.
"So, we're working with the council right now to try to get increased signage in these areas so people can know what the rules are, and follow the rules in these areas to prevent these attacks from happening."
A Wellington City Council spokesperson said Island Bay was a dog off-lead area at one end, by the dunes, and prohibited at the other.
Lyall Bay was also a dog off-lead area near the airport.
"We are working on signage with the new dog policy, so these are likely areas we will focus on with better signage making people aware penguins live there like we have further around the coast," she said.
"We work closely with organisations like Places for Penguins, Predator Free Wellington, Greater Wellington Regional Council, DOC, and contractor ecologists to minimise risk to penguins and precious species in the areas and in project areas.
"We also share information and educate the public on how best to protect birds like penguins and kiwi and other species from dogs through our numerous channels including social media, the council website, the Guide for Dog Owners, and through Responsible Dog Owner courses."
The new dog policy, which will be implemented within the next week, included expanding off-leash areas in nine different suburbs, and allowing off-leash access to Oriental Bay Beach during off-peak hours in the warmer months.
She said Wellington City Council has also requested extra patrols from Animal Services during the breeding season.