Two blue penguins killed in Otago slip
Tuesday, 25 July 2017
A pair of the world's smallest penguins has been killed in a large slip on the Otago Peninsula.
The grim discovery of the two bodies in their sand and mud-covered nesting box was made at Pilots Beach Reserve on Tuesday afternoon.
On Friday, as torrential rain battered the province, Taiaroa Head manager of operations Hoani Langsbury cleaned out a drain above the little blue penguin reserve three times because he feared the water could wash a bank out.
Over the next few days, a estimated 500 tonnes of mud fell on the penguin reserve, trapping the penguin pair inside their nesting box.
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While the deaths were unfortunate, it was lucky the slip did not happen during the breeding season when penguins were reluctant to leave their nest, Langsbury said.
A quick survey by Pukekura Trust Scientist Dr Hiltrun Ratz found 113 penguins at the reserve.
'[That's] the most we have had for some time, so the guess is they were getting ready for potentially an early breeding season,' Langsbury said.
It was estimated about 500 penguins lived at the reserve, including 200 breeding pairs.
Some 20 nesting boxes were dug out and replaced back on the land, albeit some in higher positions as the slip added an extra 1 metre in height to parts of the reserve.
Langsbury said the storm did not affect the Royal Albatross colony, with all 23 albatross chicks born this season in good health and five being supplementary fed on Tuesday.
A large slip would prevent road access for 'days if not weeks' though, he said.
'This was a natural event, but other than the two dead penguins it has been all good.'