Posted on 08/03/2005 9:44:30 AM PDT by kiriath_jearim
Dogs kill fairy penguins
02aug05
TOURISTS looked on in horror as two marauding dogs mauled and killed penguins at a leading Tasmanian penguin-viewing site.
Interstate visitors left Bicheno in shock after at least 15 penguins were killed in their sheltered rookery.
Nick Wardlaw, of Bicheno Penguin Tours, said about 20 people saw the Sunday evening attack, which left them "absolutely horrified".
"[The dogs] just grabbed one penguin, broke its neck then dropped it and moved on to the next one," he said.
"The tourists were absolutely horrified to think that such a thing could happen."
Paul Male, who also saw the attack, said people had been assembled for the penguins to come ashore when two black dogs attacked the fairy penguins.
"They attacked the penguins by grabbing them by the neck so, fortunately, most of them died instantly but women and children were horrified," he said.
"They nearly bowled people over as they were chasing them.
"The guides were very shocked and surprised. It was not a very good image of Tasmania."
He said the dogs dropped the penguins after killing them.
Mr Male said about 17 dead penguins had been discovered.
He said the dogs left the rookery and went further up the coast where they attacked hens and ducks.
Bicheno Penguin Tours has offered a $500 reward for anyone with information that could identify the dogs.
Mr Wardlaw said the dogs -- one labrador and the other believed to be a rottweiler -- were wearing collars and were "someone's pets obviously let roam around the town".
The tour company has since called for a dog curfew to be introduced to stop animals roaming after dark.
The attack comes at a crucial time for the fairy penguins, which are starting to lay eggs for their breeding season.
"Even though it's only about 15 penguins that could in fact have been 30 breeding pairs that are no longer able to raise their young," Mr Wardlaw said.
Attacks on penguins are quite common around the town, which is home to several thousand fairy, or little, penguins.
However attacks are quite rare in the rookery which has been rehabilitated and built up to about 600 penguins over the past five years.
Up to 63 were killed in a dog attack in 1997, while a couple of hundred penguins were killed in 1994.
Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service and Glamorgan Spring Bay Council are investigating the attack.
Maybe the dogs saw "The ghost and the darkness"?
One of the penguins was named "Bruce".
One of the penguins was named "Bruce".
So if we only stop black dogs to look at their tags, are we profiling? Do we have to look at an equal number of white and brown dogs?
Then why stand there then with your thumb up your ass...if your so horrified, do something to stop it ... chunk a rock or a stick or kick the dog's in the ass if you can if you think it's that bad...
I was thinkin' the same thing.... Pick up a big stick and yell. Don't just stand there.
~~sigh~~
I'd be in the ICU myself but boy, would I have a story to tell! "You see, there were these penguins, fairy ones at that and there were these dogs...mongrels they were and well...there was just me and my stick...and a rock...and a fifth of Jack Daniels"
Do I have to tell???
Check out post no. 11.
"Dogs kill fairy penguins . . ."
Some days, the jokes just write themselves.
Apparently so.
Holy smokes! I was at that rookerie chasing penguins with my son 18 months ago. We really cheesed off the penguin tour guys because we just went there by ourselves without paying them 20 bucks a head first. Bicheno is really, really off the beaten path. Also, Tasmania is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
Hey wait a minuet I'd toss a stick not go to ICU for some damm penguins...if it gets to that point in a dog vs penguins fight, F'it... and blame it all on Darwin ;>
Hun,
I know me...
I actually jumped in the middle of a dog fight between a Dobie and a Carolina Yeller Dog without giving it a thought.
Amazingly, I managed to get my dog (the CYD) in the house and the Dobie in the toolshed.
To this day, I don't know how.
Good grief! These murderous canines killed Chilly Willy's relatives. Sic Elmer Fudd on the case of i.d.ing these canine killers.
A trio of stray dogs wiped out our entire chicken coop about 10 years ago. All of our hens' necks were broken, but the only bird that had visible wounds was our rooster, who'd had his legs torn off. We figured he'd tried to fight the dogs and they'd grabbed his legs.
Our son was living at home when this happened, and the dogs made the mistake of coming back while we were out burying the chickens. He grabbed the shovel, ran the dogs down and killed all 3 of them. We were so proud of him.
Are fairy penguins a variety of penguin or where the penguins homosexual?
ROFL!
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