18 Jan 2010

Blue penguins starve amid plenty

3:23 pm on 18 January 2010

The Department of Conservation believes starvation is killing little blue penguins on the west coast of the North Island.

About 50 blue penguins have been found on Taranaki beaches and a similar number in Waikato.

The department says the cause of their deaths came as a real surprise as there appears to be plenty of food around for them.

New Plymouth marine supervisor Bryan Williams told Summer Report that just why it was happening was a mystery at this stage. Further investigation was required.