The Department of Conservation (DOC) is urging people to keep their dogs under control after a little blue penguin was killed by a dog and dumped in a restaurant bin in Port Chalmers, near Dunedin.
The dead penguin was found in the bin behind Futomaki restaurant on April 26, and reported to DOC by the restaurant's owners.
DOC Coastal Otago senior ranger Shay van der Hurk said the penguin had bite marks on it that appeared to have come from a dog.
The penguin was necropsied, which confirmed the bite wounds, fractures and internal injuries were caused by a dog, van der Hurk said.
“We’re asking the dog owner, or anyone with information about this incident, to come forward."
Van der Hurk said at least three penguins have been killed by dogs in Otago this year, and said more were preventable if people kept their dogs under control and gave wildlife the space it needs.
“While we know these types of incidents are unintentional and upsetting for the dog’s owners, it’s disappointing and frustrating that preventable wildlife deaths like this keep happening.”
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