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\nThe kiwi were killed at Wharengaere Bay (centre) on the Purerua Peninsula.
\nPhoto: Topshot Media \/ Dan Apiata\n<\/p>\n
Two dogs have been seized in the Bay of Islands as authorities investigate the deaths of around 20 highly protected kiwi – including four around Boxing Day alone.<\/p>\n
All the maulings occurred in one bay on Purerua Peninsula, north of Kerikeri.<\/p>\n
DOC Bay of Islands ranger Adrian Walker confirmed “a significant number” of kiwi had been killed on the peninsula, in the past four months in particular.<\/p>\n
He said two dogs had been seized by Far North District Council animal management officers from a property in Wharengaere Bay.<\/p>\n
Walker said the dead kiwi were being tested to determine whether the seized dogs were responsible.<\/p>\n
The peninsula boasts a major pest-control operation, Predator-free Purerua, and the highest kiwi call count ever recorded in New Zealand.<\/p>\n
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\nAbout 20 kiwi have been killed at Wharengaere Bay, in the northern Bay of Islands, in the past year.
\nPhoto: RNZ \/ Peter de Graaf\n<\/p>\n
However, ongoing killings by roaming dogs, and perceived slow action by authorities, have led to frustration among conservationists working to protect the national bird.<\/p>\n
RNZ understands the number of kiwi killed in the bay since this time last year is around 20.<\/p>\n
That includes nine killed between late January and early March, four found dead on the beach in November, and another four kiwi carcasses found on 26 and 27 December.<\/p>\n
The Far North District Council has been approached for comment. It is believed the dogs were seized on 13 January.<\/p>\n
The timing of the latest kiwi deaths is potentially embarrassing because it coincides with the arrival on Purerua of an international film crew.<\/p>\n
The CNN team has been on the peninsula this week filming kiwi and documenting the work of Predator-free Purerua as the group works to eradicate pests and safeguard native wildlife.<\/p>\n
The documentary’s main focus is on feral cats, with one feline in particular – nicknamed “Nine Lives” – thought to be responsible for decimating the local p\u0101teke (brown teal) population.<\/p>\n
It’s not the first time roaming dogs have been implicated in kiwi deaths at isolated Wharengaere Bay.<\/p>\n
A previous spate, in mid-2019, led to a rare prosecution in which a 50-year-old woman pleaded guilty to owning a dog that caused the deaths of six kiwi.<\/p>\n
Some of the dead birds had been found on the lawn outside her home.<\/p>\n
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\nOne of the dead kiwi found after an earlier spate of maulings at Wharengaere Bay.
\nPhoto: Supplied\/DOC\n<\/p>\n
According to court documents, she was convicted and ordered to pay $300 in reparations. The dog, which had been allowed to roam freely, was destroyed.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere in the Bay of Islands, at least six kiwi were killed in \u014cpua Forest, near Paihia, in 2023.<\/p>\n
Post-mortem examinations found the \u014cpua kiwi had been mauled by dogs but the owners were never identified.<\/p>\n
Another spate occurred at Wharau Road, east of Kerikeri, in 2015, when at least eight kiwi were killed.<\/p>\n
In that case, two owners were fined for failing to keep their dogs under control and three dogs were destroyed.<\/p>\n
In 2021, a Russell man with previous convictions relating to roaming dogs was fined a record $4500 for owning a dog that caused the deaths of two kiwi.<\/p>\n