Some News Stories

Sadly, about two weeks ago, about sixty-five penguin chicks died in Table Mountain National Park in South Africa.





The temperature increased to 34.10 degrees Celsius, unbearable for any penguin chick to survive on its own. The park rangers should have been monitoring them more carefully. The surviving chicks were taken to a shady area, where they were fed through a tube with a hydrating liquid. The chicks should always be removed on days when the temperature is even the slightest bit threatening. Many people, including myself, were very sad to hear the news.

Last December, there was an oil spill in Argentina, affecting 163 Magellanic Penguins and other birds. The spill covered twenty-four square kilometers in the Atlantic Ocean, threatening many other animals. The International Fund for Animal Welfare, also known as the IFAW, rehabilitated the birds back to health two months later. The IFAW works alongside other companies to provide the best possible help and protection to animals around the globe. On February 13, 2008, the healthy Magellanic Penguins were released back into the South Atlantic Waters. To learn how you, too, can be a part of the IFAW, log on to www.ifaw.org

On February 29, 2008, an African Penguin named Babe disappeared from a zoo in Stuttgart, Germany. They believe that she was actually abducted by a possible passerby. Zookeepers do not believe that she escaped since she is only about a foot tall, and the enclosed fence is over 4 and 1/2 feet tall. However, there is a stronger possibility that someone snatched her out of the enclosure and carried her small body out. Zookeepers and police warn that Babe could die easily without the proper care of the trained zookeepers.








Booth, Michael. (2008, February 13). Penguins Swim Free After Successful Rehabilitation. International Fund for Animal Welfare. Retrieved on March 21, 2008, from http://www.penguin.net.nz/news/index.html

Bamford, Helen. (2008, March 9). Park Rangers Lashed Over Penguin Chick Deaths. Cape Argus on IOL. Retrieved on March 21, 2008, from http://www.penguin.net.nz/news/index.html

McGroarty, Patrick. (2008, February 29). Stuttgart Zoo Loses a Bird, Gains a Polar Bear. Spiegel Online. Retrieved on March 21, 2008, from http://www.penguin.net.nz/news/index.html