Lucas, a San Diego Zoo penguin with a chronic condition called “bumblefoot” that makes walking painful, can now waddle and hop with ease again thanks to a new pair of orthopedic boots. “‘Bumblefoot’ is a word we use for pododermatitis in birds,” meaning inflammation of the skin of the foot, Dr. Beth Bicknese, senior veterinarian […]
Tag: little penguin
Plans for discovery centre on WA island dropped to protect little penguins
The Western Australian government has abandoned plans for a $3.3m “discovery centre” on Penguin Island following a community campaign against the development. Reece Whitby, the minister for environment and climate action, made the announcement on Friday, saying in a statement that following a scientific review and community consultation, the proposed centre would be shifted to […]
In the last month more than 500 dead little blue penguins have washed ashore in New Zealand
The penguins are arranged in neat, precisely spaced rows, their wings spread and their bright blue plumage faded by the sand. There are a total of 183, which were meticulously collected by locals, placed out, and photographed for further research. The birds were discovered last week at Ninety Mile Beach, the latest in a long […]
New Discovery Center could stress little penguins on Penguin Island in Australia
Conservationists are concerned about new plans to erect a structure on Australia’s Penguin Island. The fear is that it will add to the already-heavy stress on the island’s already-vulnerable birds. The structure will serve as a “exploration center,” with space for the penguins to nest and a water system to keep them cool when it’s […]
Half this year’s little penguin chicks on WA’s Penguin Island wiped out as colony dwindles
Half the little penguin chicks from this year’s breeding season on Penguin Island in Western Australia have died, as the colony dwindles and researchers accuse the state government of failing to act. It is thought up to 20 chicks, which represented 10% of the colony, were lost after New Year’s Day when their parents were […]
Tasmanian devils wipe out thousands of penguins on tiny Australian island
An attempt to save the Tasmanian devil by shipping an “insurance population” to a tiny Australian island has come at a “catastrophic” cost to the birdlife there, including the complete elimination of little penguins, according to BirdLife Tasmania. Maria Island, a 116-square-kilometre island east of Tasmania, was home to 3,000 breeding pairs of little penguins […]
Two men charged with trying to steal penguin and eggs from Tasmanian breeding ground
Two Tasmanian men have been charged after they allegedly tried to steal a penguin and two eggs from a breeding colony. Police were called to the Low Head lighthouse just before 2pm on Sunday following reports the duo were taking a live little penguin from the rookery. Before police arrived, members of the public intervened […]
‘We can’t blame animals’: how human pathogens are making their way into vulnerable wildlife
For 13 years now, scientist Michelle Power has been grabbing samples of human waste and animal poop from Antarctica to Australia to try and answer a vital question. Has the bacteria in humans that has grown resistant to antibiotics – an issue considered to be one of the world’s greatest health challenges – made its […]