
Conservation dog has a nose for kororā
Mena is a super dog hero.
Certified by the Department of Conservation to work as a conservation dog, she has done her bit to keep kororā (little blue penguins) safe on Cobham Drive.
Wellington City Council engineer Veronica Byrne sees careful penguin management as a top priority for the Cobham Drive project, which is transforming this previously neglected area into a much more appealing place for people to walk, run, bike, scoot and spend time.
Every morning before work begins, workers checks for kororā which could have taken refuge over night.
They check under and around vehicles, and in the areas where rock is going to be moved from and to – using a torch when necessary, and a special camera to help them see into the crevices between rocks.
Mena has also played a key role. A New Zealand-born Hungarian Vizsla, she is specially trained to find places where penguins may be present, or have been regularly frequenting.
The detection experts from Kaikoura Ocean Research Institute (KORI) have carried out three searches so far, checking vegetation and rocks along the foreshore and mapping spots where special care needs to be taken.
Penguins tend to avoid the construction zone, but if one is spotted, which has happened on a few occasions, work in the immediate vicinity stops, and the team seek advice expert advice on the best course of action.


🎭 Tricky, Twisty, and Totally Fun—Let’s Riddle! 🤹♂️
I bring people together, though I’m not alive;
I’m small but vital, helping communities thrive;
I’m often green, sometimes blue or red—
without me, connections might be dead—
What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.


Show us your projects
Whether it's craft, haberdashery, woodwork or upcycling, we'd love to see what you've been working on lately.
You may even spark someone else's creativity...
Tell us about your current project or show us a picture in the comments below...


Poll: If you could rewind time, would you choose a different career?
It might not be too late for you, but some people look back and wish they had taken a different career path.
If you could go back in time, would you choose something different? Let us know what you would have chosen in the comments below.

-
56.8% Yes
-
42.6% No
-
0.6% Other - I'll share below