‘Cruel, sick’: Driver seen swerving to kill pūkeko in Canterbury

Residents of the Canterbury town of Rolleston were upset to learn a driver had veered on to the opposite side of the road to run over a pūkeko on the outskirts of the town.

While the distinctive gangly-legged birds can be a pest on farms and are renowned for their total lack of road sense, residents say it was “nasty,” “cruel” and “sick” to run one over, especially as it was believed to have young nearby.

Police have weighed in, adding that incidents of dangerous driving should be reported.

On Tuesday last week, a motorist reported seeing a car driving on to the wrong side of the road to run over the bird.

“Just witnessed this so-called human go on the wrong side off Two Chain Rd to hit and kill a pūkeko,” the motorist posted to a Rolleston Facebook page.

“We enjoy seeing these beautiful families down our road with their babies, very bloody nasty and cruel.”

The driver of this car was seen veering on to the opposite side of the road to run over a pukeko on the outskirts of Rolleston. Photo / Supplied

The motorist and their daughter were in “total shock” after seeing the incident. They drove after the vehicle to get a photo, posting it with the number plate blanked out.

The following day the motorist reported seeing an adult and three chicks, which “luckily” remained at the site. Another motorist said she had seen the surviving adult and a chick “distraught” at the side of the road shortly after the incident.

Police said they were concerned about incidents of driving on the opposite side of the road “and dangerous driving should be reported to police when it is witnessed, via 105.”

A police spokesperson added that Animal Welfare Act offences, in which an animal is killed, were not usually in the first instance a police matter and were referred to the appropriate agency.

“In this instance the Department of Conservation advises that pūkeko are a non-threatened native New Zealand species considered to be game animals under management of the Fish and Game Council, which can be hunted at certain times of the year, with permits,” the spokesperson said.

“However, DoC condemns the deliberate injury or killing of native wildlife in the circumstances described.”