The Ministry stated that while the event is similar to one in 2023, there have been no reports of sudden deaths or chickens falling dead from trees.

Earlier this month, Rarotonga resident Mario Caffery alerted the community after several chickens died around his home.

Caffery shared his concerns on social media, noting that nine of his chickens died in the same manner.

“Just refusing to open their eyes and then just die after a few hours,” he said.

Caffery told Cook Islands News, “I had seven chickens die in one day around my yard. Then a few days later, I found that one (pictured).”

“At first I thought it was the neighbour’s dogs but after that day I reached out to the community.”

Caffery also noted the smell of dead chickens along the roadside.

Secretary of Agriculture Temarama Anguna-Kamana said, “Whilst we did not receive any direct communication or contact from the public about the dead chickens, my staff went to investigate and collect feedback from household owners around the areas affected.”

Anguna-Kamana said that based on the number of dead chickens reported – which was not widespread – “we can say that a mortality event (outbreak) occurred and that the event was likely non-infectious, similar to what occurred in 2023”.

In 2023, a team from the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries were in Rarotonga to investigate the sudden death of chickens on the island, where chickens were “dropping dead” and a resident reported 25 dead chickens.

Anguna-Kamana confirmed that the 2023 investigation ruled the cause of death as “likely non-infectious”.

“This thesis was based on the description of the number of birds affected over time at both the local place level and Rarotonga as a whole,” she said.

“At the place level, birds seemed to have been affected around about the same time, indicating that a point source exposure (to a poison or toxic agent) was most likely to have occurred.”

She added that Ministry is unable to test for a poison or toxic agent as a cause of recent deaths.

While some individuals have claimed the chicken deaths are linked to Te Marae Ora’s perifocal spraying against dengue mosquitoes, Anguna-Kamana said, “We do not believe that mosquito spraying is the cause of the chicken dying in these areas.”

“If it was, there should be more chicken dying around Rarotonga and the Cook Islands.”