Today is Penguin Awareness Day! It is pretty rare to find someone who doesn't love a penguin... they are rather adorable after all!
A few things to think about that may help out our penguin friends:
- When on land penguins are at high risk of predation by dogs, so please make sure you read signage whenever walking your pooch on or near the beach and avoid areas where penguins nest.
- At sea, penguins are vulnerable to hazards such as discarded plastics and fishing line. It is so important to dispose of rubbish responsibly to ensure we are keeping our oceans safe and clean for the animals that call it home.
- Boat strikes and oil pollution are another big problem for penguins. We like to tell the boat lovers out there to make sure you "go slow for those below" when you are in known penguin waters.
- And lastly habitat destruction is another big one that can cause issues for our penguins. People can easily trample important nest sites which are crucial for their breeding success, so again if you are in a known penguin area then please don't wander off tracks and risk damaging their homes.
Bonorong has a specially designed Seabird Rehabilitation Facility on site with a large saltwater pool for penguins. The photo below is of a Fiordland Penguin who was in care with us last year. Photo by Liz Pulo.
