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Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Did Moko die of foul play?

Bay of Plenty Times
8 Jul, 2010 11:21 PM3 mins to read

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The body of Moko the dolphin is being taken to Massey University today in an effort to find out what caused his death in Tauranga Harbour.
As yet the cause of death is unknown, however, Moko's official minder from his time in Whakatane believes the 4-year-old dolphin died of foul play.
Kirsty
Carrington travelled up the coast the moment she heard Moko had been found washed up on Matakana Island.
She broke down in tears the moment she saw the carcass.
"This is unbelievable. He looked fine but I know in my heart he wasn't fine here."
"I honestly believe he is not a silly dolphin - something has happened to him," she said.
"Seeing him washed up is a sign that he was not happy here and I'm pretty gutted to see him like this."
When the Bay of Plenty Times visited the scene yesterday afternoon, the dolphin carcass was badly decomposed. The carcass showed no apparent signs of trauma however its jaw appeared broken. It is unclear whether this injury happened before or after the dolphin died.
"There's definitely been some sort of contact here ... Moko is not a silly dolphin. Whether he's been hit by a vessel or something, I'm not sure, but something's happened," Ms Carrington said.
"He could have a fish hook in his mouth or stomach or he could have swallowed a plastic bag ... he was forever emptying the rubbish out of the water."
The dolphin carcass was removed from the beach yesterday afternoon and stored in a chiller overnight. The remains would be transported to Massey University today where DNA samples would be compared to confirm whether or not the carcass was in fact Moko.
John Heaphy, a conservation officer of protected species and islands from the Department of Conservation, said the cause of death would be determined tomorrow after an autopsy.
"Based on a number things including body measurements, him being male and the teeth pattern, I believe it is him."
Mr Heaphy said the dolphin had been dead for quite some time - about two or three weeks.
"He died in the water and has probably been floating around the harbour or out at sea before being washed up here with the storm earlier in the week," he said.
Ms Carrington hoped Moko would be returned to Whakatane after the autopsy so he could be "buried at home".
"This is not about me, it's about him and I want the right thing to be done."

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