The West Coast Blue Penguin Trust and DOC have successfully used a Kiwi dog to help sniff out blue penguins at Cobden, near Greymouth.
The Trust is working with the Grey District Council to establish whether blue penguins are breeding in the area of the northern breakwater ecological project.
Grey District Council’s Environment Manager and Blue Penguin Trustee Ian Davidson-Watts says Kiwi Dog Sky was taken to the area yesterday and did find evidence of penguins.
“We are delighted that Sky found penguins still breeding in the area. It means we can now start planning how to incorporate them into the northern breakwater restoration project. Hopefully we will be able to build up the penguin population and install a “nest cam” so in the future the public can see penguins and their young in a natural burrow without disturbing them,” he says.
Four year old Border Collie Sky was first taken to some known penguin burrows in the Camerons area so she knew what she was sniffing for and then taken to Cobden.
Trainer Jo Halley says Sky is taught not to go near penguins in normal circumstances.
“This was an experiment and she did really well. Once we showed her a penguin and she had a good smell she knew what we wanted her to look for,” she says.
“Sky sniffed out the penguin burrows and then showed us where they were by cocking her ears and basically locking her eyes on the burrow. Her mother is a Kiwi dog and her son is training to be one, it’s a 6th sense they know how to find what we’re looking for”.
The penguin population has decreased in the Cobden area and the Trust had worried that penguins may have been wiped out in the area by dogs and vehicles.
“Sky has shown us that penguins are persisting with the area despite the threats from dogs and cars. I just hope people keep their dogs under control in the area so we don’t lose the few we have left and can build up the population,” says Dr Davidson-Watts.
The Greymouth northern breakwater restoration project led by Grey District Council is aiming to develop the lagoons and coastal habitats near Cobden as a community asset for recreation as well as an attraction to tourists wanting to know more about the wildlife and cultual heritage of the Grey District. The council is currently preparing a concept plan for the area.
