Six of the nine African penguins at Columbian Park Zoo in Lafayette, Indiana, have recently died of avian malaria. The Columbian Park Zoo issued the announcement after the sick penguins finally succumbed to the illness. Neil Dale, the zoo director, said, “Avian malaria is one of the most significant causes of mortality in penguins, with […]
Tag: African penguin
Bees kill 63 endangered penguins in South Africa
A swarm of bees has killed 63 endangered African penguins on a beach outside Cape Town, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds said. The protected birds were found dead in Simon’s Town, a small town near Cape Town home to a colony of penguins, and taken for post-mortems. “After tests, we […]
Do Zoos Help Endangered Species?
When you talk to animal lovers, zoos can be a controversial topic. Some see zoos as a place of education that allows the general public to encounter some of the most wondrous species in the world. But others see zoos as unnatural and intrinsically cruel to the animals trapped behind the bars. This debate extends […]
Feed a fishery, starve a seabird
Competition for fish stocks with fisheries to feed humans could be forcing seabirds to go hungry, according to new research. The study, published Dec. 6 in the journal Current Biology, reveals that seabirds’ share of fish has dropped by nearly 20 percent over a span of 40 years. Expanding large-scale fisheries, meanwhile, have increased their […]
POLL: Should leopards be culled to protect endangered penguins?
A leopard killed dozens of endangered penguins at a nature reserve outside Cape Town earlier this month, prompting a renewed debate about how best to protect South Africa’s threatened species. Ranger Cuan McGeorge found the bloodied, lifeless bodies of 33 African penguins on 11 June scattered across Stony Point, a reserve at the sleepy holiday […]