Around the world, penguins are facing a rapidly declining population due to climate change – but also thanks to unsustainable fishing practices. Thankfully, South Africa just showed the world that can change. A compromise between the country’s conservationists and the fishing industry led to the establishment of no-fishing zones around African penguin breeding colonies for […]
Tag: penguins
How a penguin ‘massacre’ led to historic new protections in Argentina
As spring turns to summer in the southern hemisphere, the Punta Tombo Natural Protected Area on Argentina‘s central coast comes alive, with the chicks of some 180,000 pairs of nesting Magellanic penguins braying and peeping 24/7. That penguin-palooza was nearing a crescendo in November 2021 when tragedy struck. A local rancher named Ricardo La Regina, […]
Aww…We Can’t Stop Watching These Adorable Penguins Tripping Over Rope (VIDEO)
Emperor penguins are more resilient than you think. They trek for miles through Antarctica’s ice deserts, marching blindly through unforgiving blizzards and harsh winds. They even slide down icy hills on their bellies, with seemingly no signs of pain. But, in the video below, it seems like a taut rope may be an area where […]
South Africa Bans Commercial Fishing at Penguin Breeding Spots Where Food Supply Shortage Could Drive Extinction
For a critically endangered species of penguin, a recent decision to remove fishing competition from its hunting and breeding grounds may prove to be the key to saving it. In the rich waters of South Africa’s cape and Atlantic coastlines, 6 key breeding colonies of the African penguin are now no-go zones for commercial sardine […]
Bird Flu Reaches Antarctica Threatening Penguins and Seabirds
A deadly strain of bird flu has officially made its way to Antarctica, raising serious alarm among scientists and wildlife advocates. According to New Scientist reporter Michael Le Page, H5N1 bird flu has been confirmed in dead skuas along the Antarctic Peninsula, marking the virus’s first known impact on the frozen continent’s wildlife. Researchers from […]
What Did Scientists Learn After Thousands of Penguins Were Slaughtered by Mountain Lions?
In 2007, only three years after the creation of Monte León National Park along the wild coastline of Argentine Patagonia, efforts to protect penguins took an unexpected turn. A female puma was slaughtering Magellanic penguins in droves. Some of these she would eat, while other surplus kills were left to rot. Before long, her cubs […]
As Oceans Warm, Predators Are Falling Out of Sync with Their Prey
For decades on the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast, recreational anglers have braved the cold temperatures of late October and November to chase one of the region’s most iconic fish species, the striped bass. This season, just offshore of New Jersey and New York, the fall run was especially strong. “The amount of fish and [their size] […]
Emperor Penguin Returns to the Ocean After Amazing Journey
An emperor penguin named Gus made an extraordinary appearance on an Australian beach, thousands of miles away from his icy Antarctic habitat. Officials confirmed that Gus was released back into the ocean after 20 days of recovery, marking the end of his remarkable journey. Gus was discovered on November 1 in Denmark, a coastal town […]