Dozens of seagulls have been dropping like flies on beaches in Horowhenua. Along the stretch of kilometers of the Horowhenua sand beaches, they are dying. People have seen the helpless birds flop, stagger and struggle to fly in vain. They become paralyzed, drop on the sand and die.
This strange phenomenon have been seen in the Kuku and Waikawa beaches since Friday, on March 6, 2020. Beverley Dowling, a Manakau woman, saw a post on Facebook on the mysterious seagull deaths, and rushed quickly to the beach to try to rescue and save the black-backed seagulls which are native to the area. She saw the extent of the problem as she was walking along the beach.
Dowling described what was happening to the seagulls as like being "drugged." She reported that they could not move and are literally dying in front of her eyes. She would have wanted to save some of the birds, but it became quickly apparent to her that they were beyond help. They were in the throes of death, and it was happening very, very fast.
Furthermore, Dowling described how she watched the birds as they appeared to be apparently healthy one moment, then suddenly get paralyzed, and then die, all within 10 minutes. The woman tried counting the helpless birds, but she soon gave up because the numbers were so overwhelming. She described the scene as "quite horrific."
Dowling brought a seagull specimen home and kept it inside a freezer in order to bring it to the Massey University so that it could be tested and diagnosed.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) weighed in on the situation, and a spokesman from the department stated that what is happening to the seagulls is highly unusual. He further confirmed Dowling's report, saying that the situation was brought to the DOC's attention by a local member of the public, which prompted the department's officers to head to the beach in Waikawa to take a look and assess the event. The DOC thanked Dowling for bringing the phenomenon to the attention of the department through its hotline.
As of this writing, the DOC is not yet sure about what is happening. They are now conducting an investigation. The immediate concern is to focus on what action they can take to help the birds. The DOC asked everyone who is on the beach not to approach the birds. It advised people to keep their distance from the seagulls, as well keep any dogs they own on a leash.
The DOC is currently investigating the Waikawa Beach area, which is near Levin. Over 150 seagulls have so far been affected, according to Dowling, who first saw the dying birds during the afternoon. She also filmed one of the seagulls that were affected. She reported that it died after about 10 minutes after the filming was finished.
According to the DOC spokesperson who was interviewed by 1 NEWS, the affected birds seem to be black backed seagulls. This species is a native of the area but is currently not yet protected.
The DOC does not have any answers yet. It is striving to focus its efforts on trying to save the birds.