Kaiaua Whale Response - A Thankyou
On the evening of 20 December 2018, local community, iwi, and DOC responded to the stranding of a 12.7-metre male humpback whale just south of Kaiaua. This is the first incident of a humpback whale stranding in the Firth of Thames (Ti - kapa Moana) in living memory.
Unfortunately, despite our best efforts the tohora- (whale) passed away before midnight.
Initial reports of a whale calf accompanying the adult were followed up by helicopter flights the next morning where nothing was found. We assume that if there was a calf, it made it safely back to deeper water.
This is a thank you to those who helped and supported this Marine Mammal
Stranding response:
To the ‘initial responders’ who contacted the DOC hotline 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) and along with Nga- ti Paoa, Nga- ti Whanaunga, Nga- ti Hako, Kaiaua Fire and Emergency NZ volunteers and DOC, worked to care for the tohora- through the night while waiting for the next high tide.
To those who provided expert local advice on who has what equipment locally and possible burial sites, the “little barge that could”, those who helped with digging.
To the NZ Coastguard, the “anchor loan” family, NZ Whale Rescue, contractors, cafes, and everyone else.
Kind Regards and thank you all again,
Avi Holzapfel, Operations Manager
On behalf of the team at DOC Hauraki
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!