An obscure photo taken by a concerned yachtie who claims it shows a group of people with a dog on the jetty at Matakohe Limestone Island - a predator-free sanctuary in Whangārei Harbour. The black shape at the foot of the middle pylon is said to be the dog. Photo / supplied
An obscure photo taken by a concerned yachtie who claims it shows a group of people with a dog on the jetty at Matakohe Limestone Island - a predator-free sanctuary in Whangārei Harbour. The black shape at the foot of the middle pylon is said to be the dog. Photo / supplied
Photographs have emerged of a group of people returning to their boat at the Matakohe Limestone Island jetty after allegedly walking a dog onshore and off-lead at the pest-free wildlife sanctuary in Whangārei Harbour.
The suspected incident on October 4, follows one in September in which a rogue ferret made its way onto the island and killed an important breeding male known by thousands of Northland schoolchildren as “Sir Ed”.
Matakohe Limestone Island - a wildlife sanctuary in Whangārei Harbour is at risk from mainland predators. That risk is not helped by people who ignore rules not to take their pets there. Photo / NZME
Island ranger Bevan Morgan was alerted to the “medium- to large-sized” dog by a yachtie who’d seen a group of “two or three” people leaving the island with it. The yachtie wanted to know if the dog was there for conservation purposes. It wasn’t, Morgan said.
The dog wasn’t on a lead, albeit that wouldn’t have made a difference — all dogs are banned from the island and every landing point is well marked to that effect, he said.
An obscure photo taken by a concerned yachtie who claims it shows a group of people with a dog on the jetty at Matakohe Limestone Island - a predator-free sanctuary in Whangārei Harbour. The black shape at the foot of the middle pylon is said to be the dog. Another person the yachtie claimed to have seen was wearing a red shirt, but is out of view. Photo / supplied
“You can’t miss the signposts.”
He had since been supplied with photos of the group. Although the images were taken from a distance, it was hoped someone might be able to identify the people. The boat they used was a generic aluminium dinghy or “tinny” with an outboard motor.
The shooting had been authorised by the Whangārei District Council’s dog control officer.
An Onerahi resident had reported hearing barking coming from the island.
Meanwhile, Morgan said it remained a mystery how the ferret caught on Matakohe Limestone Island last month, got there. He was satisfied it was an isolated incident as there were no signs of others. Specialist ferret traps have since been installed.
Kiwi season is underway on the island with chicks beginning to hatch. Sea birds such as oystercatchers and dotterels have also started to nest.
Last week, the Department of Conservation (DoC) issued a reminder to pet owners that many of the islands in the region were pest-free, including those with DoC camping facilities, and pets are not allowed. Notwithstanding previous appeals, pet owners continued to ignore the rule by taking pets onto those islands. Pets on vessels anchored nearby also posed a risk.
“We encourage people to be aware of the rules to protect these special places.”
“Our islands have special biodiversity values and are home to threatened plant and animal species, some of which only exist in a few places.”
It's not only domestic pets that pose a risk to our predator-free islands but also exotic seaweeds like Caulerpa. The Department of Conservation wants boaties and other water users to carefully check their equipment before moving about. Photo / Susan Botting
Wildfires could devastate these native ecosystems and DoC was also “very concerned” about the threat of the pest seaweed Caulerpa.
It was vital boaties checked their vessels for any rodent stowaways and other unwanted pests.
“Dogs are not permitted on islands managed by DOC as they disturb or threaten wildlife, Bauer Hunt said.
The department had previously issued similar reminders reporting pet dogs and cats were increasingly being taken to pest-free islands, where they could wreak havoc on fragile native animal populations.
People had been caught taking their dogs onshore and some had also been caught walking their cats on leashes. One pet owner was seen paddle-boarding with a cat.
Cats pose a serious threat to rare and endangered species on our offshore wildlife sanctuary islands and are not allowed under any condition, including on a lead. Photo / supplied
Rangers were also finding an increasing number of boats moored at pest-free islands with cats living on board, despite the risk of them reaching the shore.
A cat that fell off a boat went unreported. The owners thought it had drowned. Instead, it made it to shore and spent more than four months on an island unchecked.
Rare tīeke/saddleback, occasional ground feeders, had been reintroduced onto the island ahead of the cat’s arrival.
Tīeke, or saddlebacks, are now found on a number of pest-free islands. They are among the many rare and endangered species on those islands that are highly vulnerable to predation by introduced animals. Photo / David Cook / Flickr
It was eventually caught but only after it got its paw caught in its collar and wandered into a restaurant area.
About five years ago, there had even been a report of a boatie taking their pet cockatoo onto a predator-free island. The issue, in that case, wasn’t so much that the bird could kill other rare species but that it might be carrying disease, DoC said at the time.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
