Penguin killed by dog on Wellington waterfront sparks reminder to keep dogs on leashes

Little blue penguins roost in the middle of Wellington, putting them at risk from dogs off leashes. Photo/file

WARNING, GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW

The bloody death of a little blue penguin on Wellington's waterfront last night serves as a warning for people who have dogs - keep your dog on a leash.

That's the message from Wellington City Councillor Peter Gilberd, who holds the council's Natural Environment Portfolio.

"This was a really sad and unfortunate incident - it's a stark reminder of the need to keep all dogs on a leash, especially in our coastal areas.

"A lot of people wouldn't realise that we have little blue penguins roosting right in the middle of Wellington - but it's a happy fact of life. Unfortunately most dogs will naturally see a little blue penguin as prey - and if a dog is off-leash then it'll kill a penguin in a couple of seconds - before anybody can do anything.

"People should use the city's dog parks to provide off-leash exercise."

An eyewitness said the dog owner fled the scene after the attack.

"In theory the City Council or DoC could prosecute the owner if they were identified - but I think it is very important for the community to know why dogs should be on leashes - to stop this kind of thing happening in the first place."

A little blue penguin was killed by a dog on the Wellington waterfront. Photo/Supplied

Council urban ecology team leader Myfanwy Emeny said six penguins were killed by dogs in the Wellington area in "recent times".

"These are only the ones that get reported. We suspect numbers would be much higher," she said.

"As they are found all over the Wellington coastline, there is no particular area this has happened. They've been killed in Lyall Bay, Evans Bay, Frank Kitts and on both sandy beaches and rocky areas. So the message there is that it can happen anywhere along our coastline.

"In terms of other risk, we have no records of penguins killed by people, but cars are still a major killer of penguins."

The council was working hard to get the message out to dog owners to "Take the Lead", which is the name of a campaign run by Places for Penguins and Wellington Zoo.

The council was also working to establish habitats for penguins in safe places where they do not have to cross roads to find to somewhere to nest.