Little blue penguin dies from injuries, footage of ‘suspicious vehicle activity’ sought

Kororā are about 25cm tall, weigh about 1kg and are in decline. Photo / Craig McKenzie

By RNZ

The death of a kororā/little blue penguin in Ōamaru was suspected to be the result of a “shocking senseless act”, the Department of Conservation (DoC) says.

The penguin was found injured on the night of Sunday, September 28, but died soon after.

DoC, which was working with police, said the person who found the penguin also saw “suspicious vehicle activity” on The Esplanade that night between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

Kororā are about 25cm tall, weigh about 1kg and are in decline.

Ōtepoti/Dunedin operations manager Gabe Davies said they were interested in hearing from anyone who had video footage of the area that night.

“Kororā are such precious birds and are the world’s smallest penguins,” he said.

“The death of this penguin appears to be a shockingly senseless act. They live and nest so close to an urban environment and are a popular tourist attraction.

“They are threatened and in decline and should be protected by the public and not put further at risk.”

Davies said the public, including motorists, had a part to play when out “naturing” in the coming months with more wildlife nesting and living next to coastal highways.

The death of this penguin appears to be a shockingly senseless act. Photo / Department of Conservation

“We are heading into a busy summer season and it’s shocking that these incidents keep occurring. Police are still investigating the deaths of three sea lions/pakake which were shot near the mouth of the Waitaki River in August,” he said.

“All three had wounds consistent with being shot by a firearm. While thankfully these types of appalling incidents are rare, we get too many reports of people not acting in a respectful way towards New Zealand’s precious native wildlife.”

The maximum penalty for killing a protected species like the kororā is two years’ imprisonment, a fine of $100,000 or both.