Carnage at Little Kaiteriteri

Press Release 23 May 2023
Three little penguins/korora have been killed by a dog attack at Little Kaiteriteri beach, known habitat for the native species.  The three adults comprise a successful breeding pair which have been monitored for 3 years, and a young, single adult. The female of the pair was of white flipper origin mostly seen in Banks Peninsula. The juvenile adult is thought to be an offspring of the breeding pair in 2021 and just reaching breeding age.

“This is such a preventable tragedy” says Linda Jenkins, Trustee, Tasman Bay Blue Penguin Trust. “Unfortunately, some irresponsible dog owners come to the beach and let their dog run loose on the basis that their dog wouldn’t kill anything.  Dogs are natural hunters with an acute sense of smell so they will hunt and kill.  Since October 2022 we have recorded 6 penguin fatalities locally due to dog attack, and these are only the ones we know about.  It’s highly likely there are more.  This latest carnage takes the tally to 9 and is more grim evidence of a very poor conservation record in Tasman”.

Dog owners are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure their dog is under effective control at all times around penguin habitat areas.  The most effective way of achieving this is to use a lead.
Other penguin predators include cats, rats, stoats and ferrets.  Wider threats include car and boat strike, set nets/trawling, fishing bycatch and reduced food sources through climate change.

Result of dog attack at Little Kaiteriteri

Little penguins/korora are protected under the Wildlife Act which is administered by DOC, but on a local level it is the Council’s dog control bylaw that prevails.  In Tasman the Dog Control Bylaw 2014 comes up for review in 2024, providing an opportunity for a vastly improved fit-for-purpose bylaw to be formulated which prioritises native wildlife protection.  The current bylaw is letting our penguins down, dog attacks keep happening and we risk the species becoming locally extinct unless better safeguards are put in place to ensure their survival.

Single juvenile adult

The official DOC threat classification of little penguins/korora is “at risk, declining”.

Breeding pair, monitored since 2019.

Dr Mana Stratton confirms penguins died as a result of dog attack.