A dog is believed to have attacked and killed a kiwi in the Bay of Plenty, striking a blow against the local breeding programme.

A resident found the dead bird behind the Ōhope Beach School this month.

Whakatāne Kiwi Trust team leader Claire Travers, formerly the Rotorua Kiwi Encounter husbandry manager, said the kiwi was an adult male of breeding age.

“It’s not just him we have lost, but future generations of kiwis that [could have] come from him.”

Travers said figuring out how the kiwi died was a bit like a crime scene investigation - the position of the bird, the injuries, and the pattern of the feathers could lead to a conclusion.

Whakatāne is home to more than 300 kiwi, according to the trust, thanks to a dedicated programme to re-establish a thriving population after eight North Island brown kiwi were found unexpectedly in the Ōhope Scenic Reserve in 1999.

The trust reported dogs were the biggest threat to kiwi.

New Zealand’s kiwi population was declining by 2 per cent every year, according to the Department of Conservation.

The kiwi is believed to have been killed by a dog.

The trust and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa were working together to preserve the endangered species in the area.

They recently celebrated the release of two kiwi, called Hui and Tanguru, into the Mokorua Scenic Reserve.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa’s Reuben Araroa said the tribe was heartbroken to hear about the loss.

“It’s like sending our extended whānau out into the world, wishing them a safe and prosperous life ahead… it’s devastating to learn about this.”

Araroa and Travers urged dog owners to keep their animals under control.

The trust was running courses to train dogs to keep away from kiwi and weka, and reminded owners that even small dogs could be killers.

- Paridhi Bakshi, Te Rito Journalism Cadet