WAILUKU — A dog attack on a seabird colony in Kihei last month has prompted state wildlife officials to remind pet owners to keep their animals leashed.

Dogs killed 15 wedge-tailed shearwaters nesting in burrows near Kamaole Beach Park III on Sept. 30, said state wildlife biologist Fern Duvall. A 16th bird was euthanized because its wing was so badly broken.
"It was still in its burrow with its chick," Duvall said. "We took it out because it was only going to suffer."
A number of chicks were left behind in their burrows after the kill, he said. Normally, shearwater chicks can't survive without the care of both parents. But Duvall said that since most of the chicks in the colony were fairly mature, and are due to leave their nests in a little more than a month, he hoped they would survive on their own long enough to fledge.
"My hope is they'll leave the burrows, maybe a little underweight, but that they'll be able to get out to sea," he said.
There isn't anything wildlife officials can do to intervene or care for the chicks, he added.
"It's very difficult to raise them," he said. "We don't really have a rehabilitation site that's appropriate to take them to."
Two dogs were impounded after the kill, said Jocelyn Bouchard, executive director of the Maui Humane Society.
"They were not witnessed with birds in their mouths, but they were seen in the area," she said.
The dogs' owner was cited with leash law violations and non-human attacks, since the dogs were seen chasing chickens when they were caught.
Bouchard said the dogs' owner was off-island at the time of the incident and expressed concern and "is taking measures to prevent this from happening again."
The wedge-tailed shearwater, or uau kani, is a protected species found throughout the Pacific. The seabirds have been making homes in Hawaii for thousands of years and were important to traditional Hawaiian fishing practices.
Duvall said the incident should serve as a reminder to dog owners to keep their animals leashed.
"It's carelessness — or not actually knowing they can have a major impact," he said.