Conservation dog has a nose for kororā

Reporter Community News

Mena is a super dog hero.

Certified by the Department of Conservation to work as a conservation dog, she has done her bit to keep kororā (little blue penguins) safe on Cobham Drive.

Wellington City Council engineer Veronica Byrne sees careful penguin management as a top priority for the Cobham Drive project, which is transforming this previously neglected area into a much more appealing place for people to walk, run, bike, scoot and spend time.

Every morning before work begins, workers checks for kororā which could have taken refuge over night.

They check under and around vehicles, and in the areas where rock is going to be moved from and to – using a torch when necessary, and a special camera to help them see into the crevices between rocks.

Mena has also played a key role. A New Zealand-born Hungarian Vizsla, she is specially trained to find places where penguins may be present, or have been regularly frequenting.

The detection experts from Kaikoura Ocean Research Institute (KORI) have carried out three searches so far, checking vegetation and rocks along the foreshore and mapping spots where special care needs to be taken.

Penguins tend to avoid the construction zone, but if one is spotted, which has happened on a few occasions, work in the immediate vicinity stops, and the team seek advice expert advice on the best course of action.