At most sites, little penguins/kororā are in trouble and require increased efforts to facilitate reproductive success and long-term survival.
As rehabilitators, we know that penguins are increasingly reliant on rescue and rehabilitation. With decreased ocean productivity subjecting seabirds (as well as fish and marine mammals) to prolonged starvation, many penguins are in poor body condition from emaciation. Decreased prey availability from human-related impacts, such as warming sea surface temperatures and overfishing, result in increased foraging effort and decreased foraging success. With many starving penguins admitted into care and reported deceased on beaches, penguins are facing unsustainable population losses.
For charitable entities such as the Kaikōura Wildlife Centre Trust, the focus is to facilitate species preservation and ecosystem health. The long-term vision is to implement a purpose-built wildlife hospital centre, due to high patient admittance in a global seabird capital, with penguins being one of the primary patients reliant on treatment.
Photo Credit Sabrina Luecht
In the interim many species require emergency care, which are stabilised and transferred for life saving diagnostics and veterinary treatment. The majority of penguins are in critical condition from nutritional stress, having lost 30-50% of body weight and being in organ failure as a result of prolonged starvation. Penguin patients are generally in kidney failure and require immediate hospitalisation and IV support.
Beyond rehabilitating penguins to give these threatened taonga a second chance to survive in challenging conditions and continue breeding; it is critical that protection efforts are increased to address known threats.
Foraging impacts at sea are further compounded by additional threats, such as dog attacks. Penguins in poor body condition which are beach cast, are easy prey as they are unable to evade predators and are highly susceptible to roaming dogs. Too often, roaming dogs result in avoidable penguin injuries and mortality. It only takes one bite to maim or kill a penguin.
Photo Credit Sabrina Luecht
Alongside local authorities, we can encourage the public to help penguins by keeping dogs under control in coastal areas. Habitat protection and safe breeding areas are critical for penguins, to alleviate predation losses and human disturbance. Working with the Department of Conservation and Councils to facilitate increased dog control at key sites is vital. Penguin protection efforts will ultimately also have a positive flow-on effect to benefit other native species.
With increasing penguin mortality, the Trust sees an urgency to mitigate declines from human-related impacts. In Kaikōura there are few kororā remaining in the district. Rehabilitating unwell penguins only to release them back into the wild to face the same threats seems increasingly futile. Rehabilitation of unwell penguins represents a stretcher at the bottom of the cliff - the goal is to enable survival and prevent penguins requiring care where possible.
Beyond preventive intervention measures, e.g. aiding reported moulting penguins to provide nutritional support and prevent weight loss in already malnourished birds - we see an urgency to move beyond rescue and rehabilitation.
Significant issues such as impaired marine ecosystem function (decreased prey availability resulting in starvation) cannot be immediately addressed, requiring national and global cooperation. This requires ongoing advocacy to promote policy change to alleviate pressures on the marine ecosystem.
Photo Credit Sabrina Luecht
However, we can facilitate protection on land to safeguard survival and reproductive success by enabling suitable breeding habitats safe from dog attacks, introduced predators, and human disturbance. Predator control, keeping dogs on leads in coastal areas, and giving penguins space by viewing from afar make all the difference. As wildlife rehabilitators, we can act as a united voice for penguins and other seabird species.
After concerns that a Kaikōura nesting site had been effectively abandoned, due to mortality rates and stressors in breeding habitat, plans were implemented to coordinate urgent kororā conservation - which had been lacking for years.
Extensive habitat improvements were made in critical areas, with the construction of 56 tamper-proof nest boxes for immediate deployment. Further nest boxes are currently being constructed. Existing nest boxes were in disrepair and of inadequate design regarding the risk of predator incursion and public interference.
Dilapidated built-in nest boxes have been upgraded, nest sites under buildings improved and secured, nesting materials brought in, improved access and ventilation provided, native planting initiated, penguin awareness and dog control signage implemented, and trapping initiated. Penguin habitat was overrun by rats due to a lack of any pre-existing predator control. A trap line was implemented by DOC and community members, with 40 rats caught in 4 weeks at one site alone. The goal is to continue extending the trap line.
The Trust intends to undertake a mailbox drop in relevant areas to encourage local residents with kororā pairs nesting under homes on private property to uptake nest boxes and traps, which will be made available.
A significant issue penguins face here and elsewhere is human disturbance at breeding sites, with residents and visitors seeking out penguins. This is a major stressor and welfare concern, with human encroachment blocking penguins off when coming ashore to access nest sites, flashlights being pointed at penguins and up nest boxes, as well as tampering with nest boxes in an attempt to get photos. Increased education, signage and surveillance hopes to change negative behaviour and enable a shift to respecting penguin needs.
Photo Credit Sabrina Luecht
Lastly, in the face of increasing development, it is crucial that conservation organisations advocate for penguins in regards to habitat modification and habitat loss. Too often, consultancy firms provide ineffective penguin management plans in an effort to gain consent approval, with penguins ultimately paying the price.
Collective efforts across Aotearoa with a primary objective to facilitate suitable safe breeding habitat, aim to give penguins a chance in incredibly tough times. Working towards effective community guardianship is the ultimate goal.
Article Written by
Sabrina Luecht Project Coordinator
Project WellBird - Kaikōura Wildlife Hospital
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