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The Department of Conservation (DOC) is concerned that some dog owners are putting the critically endangered fairy tern/tara iti in Mangawhai at risk.
DOC tara iti supervisor Kallan Mehrtens says there are some careless people allowing their dogs to roam in a crucial DOC recovery area, which is fenced off.
Dogs are strictly prohibited from this area.
Local rangers follow the dog footprints back to the water and common landings sites for boats.
Mehrtens says it seems that boaties, sea kayakers or maybe SUP paddlers with dogs on board are letting their dogs have a run around on the beach and dunes, perhaps chasing rabbits.
“Offenders show up in the evening after the local site rangers have gone home for the day,” he said.
“Last evening someone landed on the beach and allowed their dog to roam unattended, and it entered the shell patch under our fences and ran around near four of the tara iti nests where we have brand new eggs on the ground.
“This kind of disturbance can cause our birds to abandon their nests. It seems to be getting more of an issue.
“With only 40 of this much-loved bird remaining in the wild careless actions like this can knock back DOC’s hard work to help the population recover.”
