Dogs suspected of killing native seabirds on Kauai ADVERTISING Dogs suspected of killing native seabirds on Kauai HONOLULU (AP) — State wildlife officials are investigating after more than 30 native seabirds were found dead on the south coast of Kauai.
Dogs suspected of killing native seabirds on Kauai
HONOLULU (AP) — State wildlife officials are investigating after more than 30 native seabirds were found dead on the south coast of Kauai.
Biologists with the state Department of Land and Natural Resources said dogs are thought to be the culprits in the recent killings of the wedge-tailed shearwaters.
“Unfortunately though, unless someone saw the attack and identifies the dog, it is very difficult to definitively prove,” said biologist Thomas Kaiapkapu with the department’s Division of Forestry and Wildlife. “This is why we need more citizen monitors to help us protect and care for these vulnerable birds in their habitat.”
The 34 birds, which are ground nesters, were found dead in the seabird colony at Spouting Horn in the Lawai area.
The carcasses were taken to undergo a necropsy to determine an exact cause of death.
The recent incident follows multiple attacks on Kauai’s native birds by dogs and cats throughout the years, Kaiapkapu said.
“DLNR again urges Kauai communities to ensure that dogs are not allowed to run loose, which is a violation of both state and county laws,” he said. “We have been given authority by local landowners to do some dog trapping, which we hope will lead us to the responsible dog owners.”
Wildlife managers are meeting with Kauai Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement to address the situation and discuss ways to prevent future recurrences.
AGs ask Congress to fund research into gun violence
BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey is urging Congress to fund research into gun violence.
Healey sent a letter to Congress on Tuesday seeking direct funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study the “causes and prevention of gun-related injuries and death.”
Healey says attorneys general need “evidence-based strategies to combat the epidemic of gun violence,” which she says kills more than 33,000 people each year in the United States.
Healey says federal funding for gun violence research by the CDC has been cut by 96 percent since 1996.
Healey was in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to discuss Massachusetts’ efforts to combat gun violence.
Attorneys general from California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington state and the District of Columbia signed Healey’s letter.
