tursiops.org - Beloved Moko (multiple articles part 2). New Zealand

lauricedeephd writes "Article #1: Ridicule For Loss Of Moko Causes Further Pain
The whale and dolphin protection community is saddened at the flippant response of some people, to the death of Moko the dolphin.

Since the discovery of Moko’s body on Matakana Island, there has been an outpouring of grief from New Zealanders who had grown to love the fun-loving, friendly dolphin. Their pain has been exacerbated by the thoughtless attitude of some people who feel they are simply over reacting.

Whilst many Moko supporters have paid heartfelt tribute to the animal, their mourning has been mocked and questioned, suggesting that the death of this magnificent creature is in some way insignificant.

Speaking on behalf of Project Jonah, Kimberly Muncaster said, “Grief is grief; it’s hugely personal and individual. People react to loss in different ways and it can be painful to have your sense of bereavement questioned.”

It’s obvious that this solitary dolphin has had a profound impact on many lives. Facebook hosts a Moko Memorial Wall, where comments and tributes to Moko are moving and poignant and show the immense depth of feeling towards this much loved dolphin.

Registered Clinical Psychologist Dr Sally Davis says, “Grief is a personal process and is no less significant because it’s related to the death of an animal. We all grieve differently and there’s certainly no right or wrong way to grieve. People may feel a range of emotions, such as sadness, anger or guilt or experience a loss of appetite, lack of energy or find it difficult to sleep. These are all normal and healthy responses. Through the experience of grief people are able to adjust to loss over time.”

For those that are feeling a sense of grief for the loss of Moko, Project Jonah suggests that they seek the support of family, friends and fellow Moko supporters. The Facebook Moko Memorial Wall is a good place to connect to the shared grief of other people and find comfort. Mourners may also feel a sense of empowerment and unity in joining a group like Project Jonah, so that their sadness becomes a turning point to take positive action to protect whales and dolphins first hand.

Moko was the fourteenth solitary dolphin to have been recorded in New Zealand’s history, with only 90 or so cases ever being documented worldwide. His presence in local areas is something that has been thoroughly celebrated and since his arrival in Mahia in 2007, he has brought joy to many people. Moko was an extremely rare phenomenon, so his death is extremely sad and particularly significant.

“All we’re asking is that people respect our sense of loss, even if they’re not feeling it themselves,” says Kimberly. “We live in a world that should embrace individual differences, rather than narrowing its view of human emotion. Some people may not be moved by the loss of an animal, but others are.”

For more information and support visit www.projectjonah.org.nz

Source: http://www.voxy.co.nz/national

Article #2: We may never know how Moko died
A post-mortem examination continues today to determine the cause of death of Moko the fun-loving dolphin, but an international expert on the species says it may never be known what killed him.

Wade Doak said Moko's body appears to be too decomposed to definitively say what killed him, but if he had been struck by a boat propeller it would be obvious.

He said, however, that a likely cause of death would be drowning from set nets and he has urged New Zealand lawmakers to ban them.

"Moko left behind such a rich heritage," he said.

Few solitary dolphins had developed such "creative ways to interact with humans". He called for a sculpture to be created to honour Moko, as the famous dolphin Opo has been immortalised in Opononi.

Moko – who charmed locals and tourists alike with his cheeky boogie board-stealing antics – was found dead on Matakana Island, near Mt Maunganui, last week.

His remains were sent to Palmerston North on Friday to be examined by Massey University marine mammal pathologists. Examinations continue today.

Moko was first spotted by Mahia resident Bill Shortt when he popped out of the water near his boat. He had recently moved further north, away from his minders, prompting fears for his safety.

Doak said Moko was special because he developed many games to play with humans and would bring swimmers a variety of fish species as gifts.

"He broke the record with the number of gifts that he gave people. In that way, I sort of felt that even at his young age he was quite exceptional."

Doak said Moko made history when he helped guide an adult pygmy sperm whale and her calf back to sea in 2008 after they nearly beached themselves.

"This is only a young dolphin – that really did impress me. There have been some scientists who question the value of rescuing whales that have beached themselves. Well, if our species was not prepared to save whales, Moko was."

New Zealand was among the best countries in the world at caring for solitary dolphins like Moko, he said. He encouraged the appointment of minders for dolphins, such as the ones who cared for Moko in Gisborne and Whakatane.

Sadly he hadn't been around Tauranga for long enough to have an established carer in that area.
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Doak suggested our shores would see more friendly solitary dolphins like Moko and we needed to learn from this experience how best to look after what he calls our "closest brain neighbours".

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national

Article #3: Moko's death forever a mystery
What caused the death of Moko the dolphin remains a mystery after an autopsy, the Department of Conservation (DOC) says.

Boat strike and drowning through net entanglement had been ruled out as potential causes in a report released today.

There were no obvious signs of extensive bruising or skeletal fractures, making blunt trauma an unlikely cause of death, and no usual signs of drowning were present, Massey University pathologists said.

The pathologists were "unable to establish cause of death due to post mortem decomposition", the report said.

The only potential contributing factor identified was evidence of liver disease.

DNA results to confirm that the carcass is that of Moko could still be eight weeks away, but the pathologists had examined the dolphin's teeth and compared them to photos of Moko's teeth, finding they were in exactly the same positions and angles.They concluded the carcass was unlikely to be any other dolphin.

DOC spokeswoman Katrina Knill apologised for being unable to shed more light on the cause of death.

"We share the community's grief at his loss and hope that his legacy will be an increased level of consideration and care for the marine environment and its inhabitants by all New Zealanders."

DOC yesterday announced Moko's remains would be buried on the shore at Matakana Island, north of Mt Maunganui, where his carcass was found on July 7.

The decision settled debate over Moko's final resting place, with northern Hawke's Bay and the Bay of Plenty both vying to host the dolphin's burial.

Moko's many admirers would have a chance to farewell Moko at a memorial service at Mataatua Reserve near Whakatane where his remains will be taken before being buried on the island, Ms Knill said.

"Moko will travel via Whakatane where all are invited to attend a memorial service for him at Mataatua Reserve, Wairaka near the Whakatane river mouth," Ms Knill said.

DOC's Tauranga area manager Andrew Baucke said the decision to bury Moko on the island was made after consulting with local iwi over the weekend.

"Given that Moko washed up on the shores of Matakana, we have been guided by Ngai te Rangi who have kaitiaki (guardianship) status for the island to come to this decision," he said.

Note:
Photos of beloved Moko are included in the source article.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/

Article #4: Farewell to Moko the dolphin
Moko the dolphin, who thrilled and sometimes unsettled swimmers with his playfulness and imposing physical size, has been found dead.

The 4-year-old bottlenose dolphin was spotted by surfers washed up on Matakana Island, next to Mount Maunganui.

The body had lain at the spot for two weeks and was blackened by decomposition, making identification difficult. The Department of Conservation removed it by helicopter yesterday afternoon for examination.

But the body was so badly decomposed that the cause of his death may never be known.

Kirsty Carrington, who has spent nearly every day for six months with Moko, said she recognised him by his missing teeth.

She was inconsolable when she spoke to the Herald.

"This wasn't a good place for him. It's not safe, the vessels, no minders, the fishing nets.

"He's been a huge taonga to me, an absolute blessing to this country. It was a beautiful thing to be in the water with him."

The dolphin was last seen alive two weeks ago by charter boat owner Graeme Butler in the Tauranga harbour, weaving between kayaks.

Mr Butler told the Herald that Moko had looked "perfectly happy, perfectly healthy".

The dolphin was first spotted on New Zealand shores by Mahia resident Bill Shortt, as it popped out of the water next to his aluminium boat. Moko quickly became a national attraction, known for his cheeky theft of boogie boards, oars, and paddles.

Mr Shortt told the Herald he had feared for the dolphin's safety when he headed north, away from his minders.

Another Moko minder, Joe Hedley, who named the bottlenose after the Mokotahi headland, said his community was downcast after the news of the death. "I've lost a good friend. I spent hours and hours with him, out at sea, me talking to him, him talking back. It's as bad as a human life gone - he was something different, that's for sure."

Moko followed in the line of Pelorus Jack and Opo as solitary dolphins that captured national attention for their willingness to interact with humans.

Mr Hedley said he regularly received phone calls from radio and television stations around the world, eager to capture Moko's story.

In 2008 the dolphin famously assisted with the rescue of an adult pygmy sperm whale and her calf. After many attempts by rescue workers had failed, Moko coached them back out to sea.

After 2 years on the peninsula he moved 80km north to Gisborne's Waikanae beach and its surrounding waterways. Growing to 3m and 250kg, Moko's boisterous play and attraction of large crowds led to several incidents.

The dolphin was struck by a canoeist who he had apparently prevented from returning to shore. His mottled body had various pockmarks and scars from his skirmishes.

Moko was also set upon by a group of youths, leading to a warning from DoC to play safely with him. This year the restless dolphin migrated further north. He followed the fishing boat Eskdale around the East Coast, drawn to its brightly coloured orange buoys and, apparently, its loud music.

Mr Shortt had recently expressed concern about the dolphin's less regular contact.

Department of Conservation officer Katrina Knill said that the cause of death would not be clear until after the post-mortem examination.

Dolphin expert Dr Liz Slooten said the delay of two weeks in removing the carcass would make it difficult to work out how he died.

"It is a shame. If it had been found fresh, it would've been possible to see if it had any net markings, or unusual wounds."

At 4 years old, Moko was a juvenile, which meant it was likely he died by accident, as opposed to natural causes.

Note:
Photo and video are included in the source article.

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/

Article #5: Speculation Moko alive after dolphin sighting in harbour
Could Moko the dolphin still be alive?

DNA testing of a dolphin's body found on Matakana Island last week was expected to clear up the issue by the end of the week but until then one local fisherman is providing hope that Moko is still swimming in Bay water.

Glenn Mason came across a single dolphin near the Tauranga Harbour entrance about 4pm on Sunday. He was returning from a fishing trip when he saw the dolphin leaping up into the air.

"The dolphin was playing between two boats and he looked friendly as," Mr Mason said.

Amy Taylor had been making a documentary about Moko for the last seven months and visited Matakana Island last week to view the dolphin carcass.

She said the "sighting" over the weekend gave people false hope.

"This is messing with people's heads," she said.

"It's nice that people believe that he's still around but these are only assumptions that he's definitely not dead."

The Department of Conservation (DOC) would not investigate the possibility of Moko being alive.

Katrina Knill from DOC's Tauranga Area Office said it was unlikely that Moko was still alive.

"Dolphins in Tauranga Harbour are not unusual."

Ms Knill said at any one time, thousands of dolphins potentially came in and out of Tauranga Harbour and this was "probably just another dolphin".

Ms Knill said tissue samples from the carcass were being compared against DNA from Moko.

She said these samples were currently being processed at Auckland University.

The cause of death would not be known until midweek, however Ms Knill said "no obvious cause of death" was evident at this stage.

Plans regarding the future of Moko's remains have yet to be finalised. Meanwhile, a marine mammal protection group has expressed sadness at "flippant" responses to Moko's death.

Kimberley Muncaster, a spokesperson from Project Jonah, a charity for the protection of marine mammals, said some people's grief had been exacerbated by people mocking and questioning their sense of loss.

Source: www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/local/

Article #6: Mahia's getting ready to bring Moko home
Exactly where Moko the dolphin will be buried is still in discussion, but at least one town is ready to bring its friend home.

Mahia in the Hawkes Bay - where Moko was first spotted - has started making preparations for the bottlenose dolphin's return.

A member of the Mahia Maori committee responsible for dolphins and whales, Wiremu Blake, said he had already gained council permission for a special tomb and sculpture for Moko to be built in front of the fishing clubhouse on Mahia Beach.

"I've already organised for a digger and we would do the concrete vault facing the sea, and a memorial stone sculpture in the shape of a dolphin," Mr Blake said.

"Of course that's only if they let us have him. We'll probably go ahead with the memorial sculpture anyway, but we feel he should be brought here because this is his home."

At least five other dolphins are buried in the same area, Mr Blake said, a place where whales and dolphins were particularly sacred to the people.

Meanwhile, those in Whakatane are also fighting to have the dolphin's remains returned.

Gisborne, Tolaga Bay and Te Kaha are also emerging as possible resting places.

There are suggestions of the dolphin being cremated, with his ashes being scattered in several areas where he visited.

The 4-year-old dolphin - who had become popular among many people around the country - was found dead on Matakana Island, off Tauranga, last week.

He was taken to Massey University where an examination was carried out, the results of which will be known this week.

Department of Conservation spokeswoman Katrina Knill last night said there had been no final decision. Talks between iwi were continuing, she said, and the outcome of that would help decide what would happen to Moko.

"I guess [cremation] would be one option. We could look at that, but at this stage, nothing has been finalised. We'll be strongly influenced by [what iwi want]."

Note:
The source article includes photos of beloved Moko.

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

Article #7: Science snag over Moko ID
Pathologists attempting to confirm the identity and cause of death of a dolphin believed to be Moko have hit a technical snag.

The small size of a previous DNA sample taken from the famous bottlenose dolphin has complicated attempts to positively identify the carcass found on Matakana Island last week, but other physical evidence is strong.

"We're as sure as we can be without DNA test results that this was Moko," a Conservation Department spokeswoman said yesterday.

The decomposed state of the carcass also meant it was unclear whether the cause of death could be confirmed. DOC hoped DNA results would be available tomorrow.

Moko's final resting place depends on talks between Ngati Awa, Ngai Te Rangi and Mahia.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/

Article #8: Moko's remains to be buried on Matakana Island
Moko's remains are to be returned to Matakana Island where the dolphin will be buried on the shore where his body came to rest, the Department of Conservation said today.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) last week admitted a decomposing dolphin carcass washed up on Matakana Island, north of Mount Maunganui, was "probably" Moko.

The bottlenose dolphin delighted thousands of people - and ruffled a few feathers - with his love of human company and playful antics in Mahia, Gisborne, Whakatane and Mt Maunganui.

The decision settles debate over Moko's final resting place with northern Hawke's Bay and Bay of Plenty both vying to host the dolphin's burial.

Moko's many admirers would have a chance to farewell Moko at a memorial service at Mataatua Reserve near Whakatane where his remains will be taken before being buried on the island, DOC spokeswoman Katrina Knill said.

"Moko will travel via Whakatane where all are invited to attend a memorial service for him at Mataatua Reserve, Wairaka near the Whakatane river mouth," Ms Knill said.

DOC's Tauranga area manager Andrew Baucke said the decision to bury Moko on the island was made after consulting with local iwi over the weekend.

"Given that Moko washed up on the shores of Matakana, we have been guided by Ngai te Rangi who have kaitiaki (guardianship) status for the island to come to this decision," he said.

"This is also consistent with our policy that local iwi have access to the remains of stranded marine mammals if they want it."

Ms Krill said exact timing and other preparations for the memorial and burial of Moko will be determined over the next few days,

The dolphin's carcass is at Massey University where marine mammal pathologists are still working to determine the cause of death.

Tissue analysis for the post mortem report was being worked through but an expected date for a final report was due soon, Ms Knill said.

Delays had meant DOC were yet to receive confirmation from Auckland University that DNA taken from the dolphin's carcass was Moko's, she said.

"Unfortunately due to the small sample size, this process will be more complex than originally anticipated and it may be as long as eight weeks before DNA results are available," Ms Krill said.

Note:
Photo is included in the source article.

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/"