Two kiwi have been the victims of suspected dog attacks at Awakeri, only 14 days apart.

The Whakatāne Kiwi Trust says there is a dog out there with a taste for kiwi and warn it might strike again.

The first kiwi was found dead on the Latham’s Track on January 14, killed by a dog. The kiwi was a fully developed female kiwi, likely three to five years old, that could lay four eggs in a breeding season.

The second kiwi was found dead on Murphy Road, which is only a five-minute drive from Latham’s Track, on January 28 and is believed to be the second victim of a dog attack.

The trust is still waiting for the official cause of death.  The kiwi have been sent to the Wildlife Necropsy Services at the School of Veterinary Science at Massey University in Palmerston North to have their cause of death determined.

The bodies are sent there because it is the only place in the country that can perform necropsies on kiwi.

Kiwi are extremely vulnerable to dog attacks, as they have no wing muscles to protect their chest.

Claire Travers from the Kiwi Trust said dogs would grab the kiwi and shake it.

“They usually grab it around the chest area, which is the most vulnerable area. So, then they crush the ribs and crush the sternum.”

She said once a dog gained a taste for kiwi, it would want more.

Ms Travers said that in the four years she had been working with the kiwi trust, she had seen 13 kiwi killed by dogs. More would have gone unreported.

Jan Latham and her family have responded quickly to the kiwi deaths by moving the dogs-on-leads area to well before the bush section of the track and installing signage.

The kiwi trust said this proactive change would make a real difference for the kiwi that lived along this walkway.

The trust and the Lathams are also trying to get further signs installed to ensure everyone knows dogs must be on leads.

“Every dog's capable of killing a kiwi,” said Ms Travers. “No matter the size or how friendly your dog is, it can still kill a kiwi.”

The trust holds regular kiwi aversion training for dogs consisting of a 10-minute session where the dog wears a collar that gives small shocks when it shows interest in kiwi scent, feathers or a taxidermy bird. This creates a negative association with kiwi.

The training happens every couple of months, with the next one happening in late March or early April.

But Ms Latham said even if dogs had done the kiwi aversion training, they should be on a lead because it was safer for the kiwi.

She hopes people follow the new rules about dogs being on leads earlier on the track.

The kiwi trust encourages the community to take responsibility for their dogs, to report any roaming or lost dogs, and to follow any local signage or guidance to protect wildlife, especially around Murphy Road and White Pine Bush Road.  

Follow the trust’s Facebook page to see when bookings open for the next kiwi aversion training.