Trevor, who became known as the “world’s loneliest duck”, has died after being attacked by dogs on the remote Pacific island of Niue.

The bird developed into a local celebrity before achieving international fame last year for being the only member of his species living in the tiny nation.

Trevor is thought to have arrived on Niue, some 1,500 miles northeast of New Zealand, during a tropical storm in 2018, although exact details of how he reached the island were never determined.

An announcement of his death, posted on his Facebook fan page, described him as a “very cool duck” who had “won the heart of so many locals and tourists”.

The page added that the duck’s body had been discovered in a bush after apparently being attacked by dogs.

Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Show all 19 1 /19 Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Bed of Seals By Cristobal Serrano of Spain Winner of the Animals in their Environment category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Kuhirwa Mourns Her Baby By Ricardo Montero of Spain Winner of the Behaviour: Mammals category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Mother Defender By Javier Aznar of Spain Winner of the Wildlife Photographer Portfolio Award PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Blood Thirsty By Thomas P Peschak of Germany and South Africa Winner of the Behaviour: Birds category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Night Flight By Michael Patrick O'Neill of the USA Winner of the Underwater category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Signature Tree By Alejandro Prieto of Mexico Winner of the Story category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Mud-Rolling Mud Dauber By Georgina Steytler of Australia Winner of the Behaviour: Invertebrates category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Desert Relic By Jen Guyton of Germany and the USA Winner of the Plants and Fungi category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Pipe Owl By Arshdeep Singh of India Winner of the 10 Years and Under category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Lounging Leopard By Skye Meaker of South Africa Winner of the 15-17 Years Old category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Crossing Paths By Marco Colombo of Italy Winner of the Urban Wildlife category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 The Sad Clown By Joan de la Malla of Spain Winner of the Wildlife Photojournalism category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 The Vision By Jan van der Greef of the Netherlands Winner of the Black & White category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 The Ice Pool By Cristobal Serrano of Spain Winner of the Creative Visions category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Dream By Michel do Oultremont of Belgium Winner of the Rising Star Portfolio award PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Windsweep By Orlando Fernandez Miranda of Spain Winner of the Earth & Environments category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Duck of Dreams By Carlos Perez Naval Winner for the 11-14 Years Old category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 Hellbent By David Herasimtschuk of the USA Winner of the Behaviour: Amphibians category PA Wildlife photographer of the year 2018 The Golden Couple By Marsel van Oosten of the Nehterlands Winner of the Animal Portraits category PA

Trevor’s death prompted an outpouring of grief both on Niue and abroad, with Trevor Mallard, speaker of the New Zealand parliament who the duck was named after, leading the tributes.

“Deepest sympathy to the people of Niue from the parliament of New Zealand,” he wrote.

Trevor first found fame in September last year, when he became the subject of a New Zealand Herald story titled “The sorry tale of Niue’s only duck”.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The piece detailed the troubles the duck had faced since arriving on the island, including finding a home in an alien habitat.

Without any lakes or ponds on Niue, Trevor had been forced to live in a puddle by a roadside, where he was attacked regularly by an aggressive rooster neighbour.