U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
A newborn gooney bird chick is shown with an adult gooney, also known as the Laysan albatross, on Kauai. Officials believe dogs killed 15 fowl on Kauai's Na Aina Kai Tropical Botanical Gardens.
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15 gooney birds killed by dogs at protected site
Associated Press
KILAUEA, Hawaii » At least two dogs sneaked into a protected nesting area for gooney birds on Kauai and killed 15 of the fowl.
Officials believe the dogs infiltrated Na Aina Kai Tropical Botanical Gardens on Tuesday night through a hole in a fence opened by beachgoers seeking a shortcut.
A small colony of gooney birds, also known as laysan albatross, has been nesting for several years on the grounds of the private, nonprofit organization. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service built a fence around the colony to protect it.
Laysan albatrosses are not endangered, but the species is protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Dog owners whose pet kills one of the seabirds face up to $5,000 in fines and six months in jail.
Brenda Zaun, a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said the loss of 15 birds is serious considering only 200 pairs of laysan albatross nest per year.
But she was perhaps most upset that people made a hole in the fence.
"The end of the fence had been pulled back by people trespassing onto that property from the beachside," she said. "When trespassers cut alter a fence, it also allows predators a way in. The trespassers are just as much at fault as the dog owner."
Kapaa resident Richard Spacer witnessed at least part of the attack after watching two mid-sized dogs -- one cream-colored with a black collar and another with a black coat -- circling the protective fence.
"The light-colored dog killed a good-sized albatross; he was thrashing it around, then the black got a hold of one," Spacer said Wednesday after he reported the incident. "It was very disgusting."
Zaun said seabirds are not used to defending themselves against mammal predators. She said they do not have the instinct to fight or fly away because they believe they are safe on land.
Dogs have killed albatrosses on Kauai before, including an incident two years ago in which dogs killed eight chicks and six adults.
In January of 2005, federal officials fined a Kilauea resident more than $2,000 when her two dogs allegedly killed 27 albatrosses at Kepuhi Point.
Zaun encouraged those who see dogs harming wildlife to report it immediately and interfere if they can.
"Sometimes just yelling at dogs will cause them to stop and run away," she said.
Taking pictures and remembering descriptions is also helpful in tracking down the owners.
The Laysan albatross, which has a wingspan of 6 to 7 feet, is Hawaii's largest seabird.