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.
Homophobe dogs?
Ok... I nominate this for "oddest-sounding headline of the week".
What if the dogs refuse?
ROTFLMAO!
A dingo ate your pengy
So now if we call someone "little people" we are actually calling them fairies? Is the term now considered hate speech?
If attacks are quite common around the town, why is this even newsworthy?
Hate crime???
(Dogs in a chicken coop have been known to do just this sort of stuff, and will never quit as long as they are breathing.)
Couldn't get the weapons out of the locked gun case.
Are these those gay penguins from Germany?
I hope they caught the murdering disturbed dogs and put them down......
Had their toenails painted and were a little light in the feathers.
LOL!! where did you get that???
ROFL...I love that graphic!
Fractured Fairy Penguins
One's named Butchie. The other answers to the name of Claude.
Pay me now.
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