“Koki”, a North Island brown kiwi chick, had been recovering at Rotorua’s Rainbow Springs Nature Park as part of Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery after being rescued by an Okoki farmer, after a dog killed its father.

Sadly last week, the young kiwi died of injuries thought to have been caused in the attack, prompting appeals for dog owners to keep a tighter leash on their animals.

New Plymouth DOC Conservation Officer Bryan Williams said while he blamed no-one for the accident, it showed how vulnerable kiwi were to large domestic animals like dogs.

“Unfortunately this is something that probably happens quite a lot in areas like Okoki where there are a number of kiwi, but we probably don’t get to hear about it because if a dog isn’t tied up or muzzled and takes off, no-one can be sure where it’s been or what it’s been in to.”

Koki’s death means five kiwi have now been killed by dogs in reported incidents since last year. Sunny, an adult Kiwi released into Egmont National Park in January after surviving serious injuries, was killed by a dog left in the park in early March.

“We’re appealing to dog owners - especially in known kiwi zones like Okoki - to take a few moments to tie up their dogs when they’re not being run, which could save the life of a kiwi.”

However, Mr Williams praised the quick actions of the farmer who rescued Koki and reported the incident, and encouraged any others who found kiwi on their property – particularly injured or even dead birds – to contact the Department.

Taranaki Kiwi Trust spokesman Cees Bevers said the prompt reporting of incidents involving dogs and kiwi meant that injured birds could potentially be saved, while even dead birds could still offer valuable information for scientists.

While normal kiwi predators such as stoats, ferrets and cats could be controlled with trapping programmes, Mr Bevers said there was no defence against dogs.

“Adult birds are vital to saving the kiwi population in Taranaki, because unlike kiwi chicks, they can hang on in areas without predator control and fight off pests. However, the biggest kiwi is no match for even the smallest dog, so by taking a moment to put a dog away or slip on a muzzle, you could help save a bird that we can’t afford to lose.”

Mr Williams said part of the problem was that dogs were instinctively drawn by the birds’ unique smell. “Unfortunately, some owners just don’t believe their dog would kill a kiwi or how easily it can happen. Even the specialist kiwi-finding dogs used by DOC are muzzled because no matter how well a dog is trained, it’s still a dog.”

Vets at Massey University would perform an autopsy on the dead chick to confirm how it had died, he said. Its feathers would go to local iwi.

DOC media liaison:
Ross Henderson - Phone: (06) 345 2402

Bank of New Zealand Kiwi Recovery Trust:
Kieron Goodwin - Phone: (09) 375 1084 or 029 478 4610