Unfortunately, when checking Sprat’s monthly location for July, the signal from his transmitter was a “mortality signal” – meaning either he was dead or he had dropped his transmitter.  When located, all that was left of Sprat was a pile of bones and a few feathers. The bones showed evidence of a dog kill (broken ribs and a puncture wound to the skull). The data from the transmitter gave his date of death as around the 24 June 2010. We have been checking with locals at the Nook for any sightings of uncontrolled dogs around that (or any other) time. Sprat was a wild hatched kiwi who had become “Jackie’s” partner last season and we had put a transmitter on him to monitor nesting (the dad’s sit on the eggs). Unfortunately 50 years of potential breeding by Sprat has been lost.