Three cows on an iwi-owned farm have been discovered dead and cut up. They had been killed with a bow and arrow.
Rangiputa Station on the Karikari Peninsula in Northland is co-managed by Ngāti Kahu and Landcorp.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kahu chief executive Anahera Herbert-Graves says other farms have been targeted in the area, with the same type of arrow used in each attack. She says that only the back streaks and legs were taken in this attack, leaving the rest of the slaughtered animals where they fell.
Police are investigating.
Anahera doesn't believe that these animal are killed for kai but more for 'Feeding the habit or trying to make money in one way or another'
Ngāti Kahu still remains the only tribe of Muriwhenua not to reach a resolution in the crown settlement process. Herbert-Graves says that Rangiputa Station is part of a partial settlement and the iwi and hapu want to see it returned at no cost to them.Rangiputa station is currently co-manged by Landcorp and Ngāti Kahu Iwi, with local members of Ngāti Kahu working on the farm. 'As far as we are concerned we are just letting them use it'.
She is calling anyone with any information to contact the Mangonui Police Station on 09-406 2060