KILAUEA — In the late afternoon oF June 22, Kim Rogers, a volunteer for the Kilauea Point Wildlife National Refuge, stumbled upon eight Laysan albatrosses that had been violently maimed. Two stray dogs are the suspected culprits. The gruesome
KILAUEA — In the late afternoon oF June 22, Kim Rogers, a volunteer for the Kilauea Point Wildlife National Refuge, stumbled upon eight Laysan albatrosses that had been violently maimed. Two stray dogs are the suspected culprits.
The gruesome discovery prompted Rogers to alert the Division of Forestry and Wildlife and Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement to rescue the injured birds and search for the loose dogs. As of today, the two dogs remain uncaught.
Five other birds survived the initial attack and were taken to the Kaua‘i Humane Society for treatment and rehabilitation. One of the injured birds eventually died of its injuries.
As of July 17, Kaua‘i Humane Society Program Coordinator Tracy Anderson said that three chicks had been released on the hills off of Kilauea and had flown off. The fourth is still bracing up for the challenge.
“Hopefully in about three or four years they will return to mate,” said Anderson.
The June attack wasn’t a solitary incident. The next day, another Laysan albatross chick and three wedge-tailed shearwaters were found dead on adjacent private property. Based on decomposition of these birds, the killing may have happened the same day as the first incident.
Cathy Granholm, a Princeville resident and a KPWNR volunteer, views the refuge as the ideal site to keep the albatrosses safe.
“It will always be state and government property, whereas landowners’ interest in those birds can greatly vary,” Granholm said.
No private land owner is required to care for the albatrosses, or is held responsible for their safety.
Granholm learned about the tragedy online.
“The big problem is private property,” she said. “Once they choose their nesting spot, they will faithfully return to the same place year after year, and eventually their own progenitors will do the same once they’re adults.”
Granholm considers having a nesting albatross on one’s property a privilege. “It’s a status symbol,” she said.
There is hope for the ongoing investigation, said Thomas Kaiakapu, the Department of Land and Natural Resource’s wildlife manager.
“We have suspicions as to who the owners are, but I can’t tell you more. That would compromise the investigation,” Kaiakapu said.
Flyers were sent to all area residents informing them of the tragic occurrence and urging them to keep their dogs leashed and report to the police, the Humane Society or the DLNR any loose animal or other suspicious activities.
A photo of one of the two dogs seen on the property near a chick has been distributed to neighbors to aid in identification. It is hoped that these steps will help to make this nesting area as safe as possible for future nests and chicks.
One of the property managers has patched a gap in a fence between his and the adjacent property to keep the dogs from entering the nesting area.
“Volunteers and landowners are trusted individuals who know not to disturb the nesting birds,” said Kaiakapu.
Volunteers give of their free time to help land owners get involved in providing a safe place for the birds to nest. Because the volunteers work during daytime, potential predators can freely strike at night.
“A similar event occurred eight years ago, approximately two miles from where the killings took place,” recalled Kaiakapu.
Protected by law
The mighty fliers are protected under various state and federal laws. Laysan albatrosses are not listed in the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which was enacted during the Nixon administration as a consequence of the rapidly increasing economic growth. Instead, Laysan albatrosses are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service takes responsibility for the albatrosses that nest on federal property while the DLNR oversees the albatrosses that nest on private property.
Three species of albatrosses wander from place to place over the Pacific. While the short-tailed albatrosses mostly breed on two main islands south of Japan, the Laysan and black-footed ones set up residence in the Hawaiian Islands from mid-November to mid-July. A majority of them pick Kaua‘i as their No. 1 destination.
“Most of them have already left the island this year,” stated Granholm.
Their earlier-than-usual departure could be due in part to the strong winds that have thrashed the northern side of Kaua‘i and enabled the fledglings to molt faster and therefore take off earlier.
Albatross populations have been steadily increasing since state and federal departments got involved in the bird’s protection.
But the ongoing overcrowding has forced them to nest outside of the protected areas. “They started spilling over everywhere,” said Kaiakapu.
Some parts of the protected land are fenced, which is where the albatrosses are expected to nest. However, more birds are nesting outside the fenced areas now, exposing them to less controllable threats, the biggest of those being stray dogs and cats, according to Kaiakapu.
Live capture traps for from DLNR, USFWS and the Kaua‘i Humane Society were deployed around the nesting areas to catch cats and dogs, and are being monitored by volunteers.
“We put live bait inside and the door closes on them once they step in, but it doesn’t always work. They have to be really hungry to take the bait,” said Kaiakapu.
Whenever stray dogs and cats get caught, they are taken to the Kaua‘i Humane Society where their fates are determined depending on such factors as health and safety hazards, ownership registration, etc.
‘They’re like B-52 bombers’
Small to mid-size colonies of albatrosses set up residence from Ni‘ihau to the Big Island to perform mating rituals and eventually nest for life. However, large colonies of several thousands also dwell in the northernmost islands, like the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, which boasts the world’s largest population of albatrosses.
On Kaua‘i, albatrosses favor the North Shore.
“They need room to land and take off, and they also need the winds to blow in the right direction. The North Shore sea bluffs are an ideal location for that,” said Kaiakapu.
Kaiakapu remains realistic about the situation at hand.
“We can’t put up fences wherever they choose to nest,” he said. “When they land or take off they risk hitting a fence. We can’t fence up every nesting areas. It’s practically impossible.”
Moreover, major regulatory and administrative steps must be taken before installing a fence on private property. “If they want to nest outside, they can. We can’t tell them where to go,” Kaiakapu said.
After a pause, Kaiakapu shared a thought: “They look funny when they walk, and they need a lot of room to take off, but once they’re in the air, they’re like B-52 bombers. They look amazing. They are such majestic birds.”
The DLNR urges the public to keep pets leashed while on walks, and kenneled or fenced while at home. Pets must be restrained from roaming freely at all times, especially near coastal areas where seabirds usually choose to nest.
“Pet owners are as responsible as their pets for these senseless killings,” said DLNR chairperson William J. Aila Jr.
“Each year, seabirds are killed by dogs and cats because they retain their natural instincts to kill. This is why it is important for everyone to play their part to protect wildlife.”
Also, while walking in an area near nesting albatrosses, do not stray from the path.
“They are very sensitive to human presence and easily get stressed. One must observe them from a distance only,” warned Kaiakapu.
Seabirds are protected by both federal and state laws and violators may be subject to criminal petty misdemeanor fines under HRS Ch. 183D-62 for a first conviction of not less than $200 and/or imprisonment of not more than one year.
In addition, violators could face civil administrative penalties for a first violation of a fine up to $10,000 and an administrative fine of up to $5,000 for each specimen of wildlife taken, killed, injured or damaged.
For more information, call Deborah Ward, DLNR public information specialist, at 587-0320, or call the DLNR conservation hotline at 634-DLNR.
To report loose dogs, cats or incidents of bird injury and mortality, contact Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement at 274-3521, or the Division of Forestry and Wildlife at 274-3433.
• Laurent Canalejas, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 241) or lcanalejas@thegardenisland.com.
