The kiwi is believed to have been killed by a dog. Photo / Supplied
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A dog is believed to have attacked and killed a kiwi in the Bay of Plenty, striking a blow against the local breeding programme.
A resident found the dead bird behind the Ōhope Beach School this month.
Whakatāne Kiwi Trust team leader Claire Travers, formerly the Rotorua Kiwi Encounter husbandry manager, said the kiwi was an adult male of breeding age.
“It’s not just him we have lost, but future generations of kiwis that [could have] come from him.”
Travers said figuring out how the kiwi died was a bit like a crime scene investigation - the position of the bird, the injuries, and the pattern of the feathers could lead to a conclusion.
Whakatāne is home to more than 300 kiwi, according to the trust, thanks to a dedicated programme to re-establish a thriving population after eight North Island brown kiwi were found unexpectedly in the Ōhope Scenic Reserve in 1999.
The trust reported dogs were the biggest threat to kiwi.