Hawk find shocks DoC officer

NATURE’S WAY: A healthy harrier hawk scavenging a hare. Department of Conservation officers have been appalled by the condition of a dead harrier hawk found on the roadside in Wairoa. The extremely underweight bird had tethers attached to its legs, in an apparent attempt to train it for falconry. File picture

A harrier hawk (kahu) found in Wairoa this week died a “slow miserable death” and the Department of Conservation (DoC) is appealing to the public for information.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said DoC biodiversity officer Jamie Quirk. He had been with DoC since 1987 and he had been left shocked by the discovery.

Mr Quirk said the cruelty was some “misinformed” person’s attempt to train a harrier hawk in the way English and Middle Eastern bird owners practise falconry.

“I just can’t understand it.”

Mr Quirk said the hawk, which had clearly died a “slow, miserable death”, was found on the roadside early last week by a school child who immediately reported it.

DoC East Coast operations manager John Lucas said the dead bird had tethers attached to its legs. It appeared that someone has attempted to tame it for falconry.

“It is never OK to treat a wild bird badly in order to domesticate it.

The bird was extremely underweight and in poor condition.

“It may have escaped attempts to be trained and was left unable to naturally feed ultimately resulting in its death,” Mr Lucas said.

The bird has been sent to Wildbase Hospital at Massey University, New Zealand’s only dedicated wildlife hospital, for a necropsy and further analysis.

Harrier hawks are partially protected under the Wildlife Act 1953 and possession of them is regulated.

“We all have a responsibility to care for Aotearoa and our special native species,” Mr Lucas said.

“Human behaviour has a big impact on wildlife and DoC has been actively out and about this summer educating and encouraging people on the Kiwi way to better protect our landscapes and native animals.”

Anyone who has any information about the harrier hawk should contact 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).