Almost 60 Australian fairy penguins killed in suspected dog attack

Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-18 18:59:37|Editor: Li Xia
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SYDNEY, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Wildlife authorities in southern Australia announced Wednesday an investigation into the deaths of almost 60 penguins which were killed in a suspected dog attack.

The bodies of 58 fairy penguins were found this week along the northern coast of Australia's Southern-most State of Tasmania.

The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, which collected the penguin carcasses and has since been conducting post-mortem examinations, said that most of the birds appear to have died because of a dog attack.

"We would like to remind dog owners of the need to take responsibility for their animals at all times as dogs have the capacity to do a lot of damage to penguin colonies in a short period of time," the department said in a statement.

"Investigations into all the circumstances surrounding the deaths are continuing and so we would like to encourage anyone who may have any information to contact us to assist in our investigations," Parks and Wildlife Service officer Michael Spaulding told the local media.

It was the responsibility of dog owners to control their pets, he added.

The latest incident occurred months after 13 fairy penguins were killed in a suspected dog attack on a nearby beach this June.

Fairy penguins, or little penguins, grow to an average of 33 cm in height and 43 cm in length. They are found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with Tasmania supporting around half of the global population.

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