The Conservation Minister says she is appalled by a video of tourists pointing a gun at a native kereru and then holding up two dead birds as trophies.
The Department of Conservation (DoC) is looking into the clip, which was posted on the website Youtube, showing what is thought to be Norwegian tourists.
Kate Wilkinson says the authenticity of the footage is being checked and if it is real, it should be dealt with seriously. "I just think that visitors in our home shouldn't destroy our home, and if they do that and they get convicted, then we should make it a bit harder for them to come back," she says.
The Minister has already asked DoC to look at the penalties for offences under the Wildlife Act and make recommendations after a German tourist was caught with 16 native geckos in his backpack.
The maximum penalty for killing a protected bird is currently a $100,000 fine or one year in prison.
