Two recent penguin finds have sparked renewed calls for dogs to be kept on leashes on Oamaru beaches.
Oamaru Penguins science and environmental manager Dr Philippa Agnew said a little penguin had to be euthanised after suffering injuries from a dog bite — and a rare visitor, a snares crested penguin, was spotted in an area well-used by dog walkers.
Oamaru Penguins staff collected a little penguin over the long weekend that had been ‘‘bitten by a dog’’, Dr Agnew said.
‘‘He was still alive but had to be euthanised as his injuries were not survivable.
‘‘Please always have your dog on a leash in coastal areas, even if you think there isn’t any wildlife present,’’ Dr Agnew said.
Little penguins were a ‘‘cryptic species’’ and could be anywhere along the district’s coastline, she said.
At this time of year the birds were coming ashore to moult and might hide in areas where they would not normally go.
The euthanised little penguin was about 1 year old and had fledged from the Oamaru Penguins colony, she said.
Staff had also recently collected a snares crested penguin from Beach Rd.
The area was known to be used by lots of dog walkers, she said.
Meanwhile, Oamaru Penguins was very busy as Chinese New Year approached — more than 500 people were visiting the colony per day at present, Dr Agnew said.