Mystic penguins to make appearance in Jim Carrey film
03/30/2011
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Cue the jokes about how the penguins won't have to buy tuxes for the movie premiere.
Yes, a passel of penguins from Mystic Aquarium will make a background appearance in the Jim Carrey film "Mr. Popper's Penguins," which opens on June 17.
The "Popper's Penguins" crew filmed Mystic Aquarium's penguin exhibit on one day in late December, said Erin Merz, who is manager of media and public relations for the aquarium. No actors were on site. Instead, the Mystic exhibit was set to be green-screened behind the actors in one or more scenes, although aquarium officials don't know exactly what the scenes will be.
The movie is based on the 1939 children's book about a businessman inheriting six penguins and, naturally, chaos ensues.
Which name do you like the best for the Akro Zoo's new penguins?
Niña
23%
Nieve
7%
Pacific
17%
Pez
51%
Photo courtesy of the Akron Zoo.
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Photo courtesy of the Akron Zoo.
Copyright 2010 Angie's List. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Humboldt Penguin. Photo from the Akron Zoo's Facebook page.
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Zoo is asking for people to help name the two endangered Humboldt penguin chicks that were born at the zoo in January.
The male and female penguins are ready to join exhibit, and they now need names.
The zoo has selected a list of four names, two boy and two girl names, from a list of submissions. For the male, the name options are Pacific or Pez. The female name opens are Niña or Nieve.
The voting will take place on the zoo’s Facebook page, and it opened on Wednesday, and will end at midnight on April 15.
Also, anyone that provides the winning combination of names will be entered into a drawing for a behind-the-scenes tour of the penguin exhibit for up to four people. People can only vote once, the zoo said.
The Humboldt penguin, which is a warm climate penguin, is currently an endangered species, and with the new additions, the zoo now has 18 of them.
According to information from the Akron Zoo, some estimates show that the Humboldt penguin could be extinct in the wild in about 10 years because nesting locations are being eliminated through commercial harvesting of the land.
By Dave Goosselink Like captain Richie McCaw, All Black number eight Kieran Reid won't be at the royal wedding, but he's still keen to show he's got a sensitive side. Read is working to raise awareness of the cute but endangered yellow-eyed penguin, following in the conservationist footsteps of former All Black Anton Oliver.
Otago Peninsula is his new favourite spot. He's tackling a new challenge as ambassador for the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust, which works to help protect and preserve the endangered birds. "It's an awesome part of the world when you come out here and see the coastline, and what the trust has achieved by planting all the trees, so just a pretty awesome experience," he says. He's been helping with the trust's habitat restoration work, replanting native trees which provide shelter for the birds. Yellow-eyed penguins - or hoiho - are notoriously shy creatures, and like to nest in secluded areas. But Read's been able to get closer than most. "I've been down and had a look when they were actually tagging the young chicks, so it was a pretty awesome experience to be able to get close." It's quite a different world from the rugby field, but Read's following in the footsteps of another rugby environmentalist, Anton Oliver, who's patron of the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust. "Because people are watching the likes of Kieran and Anton for all sorts of reasons, and so if they can help spread that message people are instantly going to listen to them, and yeah it definitely helps," says the trust's Sue Murray.
The trust has reported an "above average" breeding season for the penguins in Otago. But a lot of work's needed to ensure their long-term survival, and Murray's keen to spread the message to those further north. "I think the penguins themselves are a national tourism attraction, and internationally known as well," says Ms Murray. "Everyone hopefully will know how special these little guys are, and can hopefully work to look after them in the future," says Read. These threatened native seabirds now enjoying the support of one of the big guys of rugby.
3 News
Oil-soaked rockhopper penguins are being rehabilitated on Tristan da Cunha island, a UK overseas territory. Up to 10,000 birds may have been affected by an oil spill after a cargo vessel ran aground close to a penguin colony.
The island is home to half the world’s population of rockhopper penguins - about 150,000 birds. Local volunteers and conservationists from the RSPB are working at the makeshift rehabilitation center.
Almost 1,500 oil-soaked birds are in the centre. The team is stabilising them with fluids, vitamins and charcoal to absorb ingested oil. Absorbent volcanic sand has been laid down on the floors of the centre's sheds.
"The first priority is to get food into them as the birds are very hungry," said Katrine Herian, the RSPB's project officer on Tristan da Cunha. "Islanders are trying locally caught five fingers, yellowtail and crayfish."
The swimming pool on Tristan has been drained of chlorinated water and partially refilled with clean water. Birds that are not as badly oiled as others have been released into the pool to recover and preen.
A baby Chinstrap penguin walks along the edge of a rock. (Jordan Smith)
A Gentoo penguin swims next to the glass in the Newport Aquarium’s newly renovated penguin exhibit. Visitors can view the animals directly in front of the glass, which measures 8-inches thick. (Jordan Smith)
Ric Urban holds a young Rockhopper penguin Thursday at the Newport Aquarium’s Penguin Palooza exhibit. The aquarium adopted six Rockhopper penguins and the same number of Inca Terns this year. (Jordan Smith)
King, Gentoo, Chinstrap and Rockhopper penguins wander the newly renovated penguin exhibit at Newport Aquarium. The exhibit now resembles the side of a glacier, which would be the penguins’ natural habitat. (Jordan Smith)
The new penguin exhibit at Newport Aquarium – an hour and a half drive from downtown Frankfort – is designed for children.
Yet, standing face-to-face with the four different species of funny-looking creatures, I couldn’t help but smile and laugh. I’m glad I made the drive to see the exhibit, which opened Saturday.
Never a fan of penguins before, I have to admit, after hanging out at Penguin Palooza, I am one now.
As I marveled at the 34 birds swimming and roaming around their new habitat, I noticed that birds and mammals curator Ric Urban was smiling too.
“People love penguins,” said Ric, who spends his days with the mammals. “How can you see a penguin and not smile?”
True.
As we talked about the new exhibit and the addition of Rockhopper penguins and Inca Terns (the first flying birds to join the group), Ric’s enthusiasm was catching.
The aquarium houses one of the most diverse cold-weather penguin exhibits in the country. The six Rockhoppers live up to their name as they jump from rock to rock. They’re also excellent swimmers, Ric said. At 20 inches tall, they’re a small species. They join three already there: King, Gentoo and Chinstrap.
I saw little of the Inca Terns, a small flying bird with long wings, until Ric stepped behind the exhibit glass and threw fish into the air.
“That’s not a penguin!” a child cried as one of the birds swooped from his perch to grab the fish in midair.
When the Inca Terns weren’t fast enough, the penguins made a dive for them.
What I loved most about the exhibit was that I was closer to the penguins than I have been at any other zoo or aquarium but didn’t have to suffer the smell. If you’ve ever been around penguins, you know what I’m talking about.
The area is an 8-000 gallon tank with rockwork made to look like the border of a glacier, which is where the penguins would live in the wild.
It’s beautiful with seating for 60, and shows run frequently. Visitors are separated from the birds by glass, and children run back and forth with the penguins as they swim.
Ric said visitors who had been before would appreciate how much they’ve improved the space. It’s nearly doubled in size and includes several educational and interactive stations for children.
I didn’t get to witness it while I was there, but visitors who attend later in the day will get to see the new lighting system modeled after aurora australis, the southern counterpart of northern lights.
The aquarium keeps the penguins on the Southern Hemisphere lighting cycle, which means that in the past, they’ve had to let the exhibit go dark during our day. Now, shades of blue, red and green will illuminate the birds at “night.”
“So, it will still feel like night to the penguins, but people will be able to see them,” Ric explained.
After the tour, walking past all the other aquarium attractions – including the massive shark tank, I realized why among items sold at the aquarium gift shop, penguins rank number one.
They just make you smile.
If you want to go, the aquarium is open 365 days a year from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To see everything, which includes Penguin Palooza, the cost is $22 for adults, $15 for children ages 2 through 12, and children under 2 are admitted free. To purchase tickets online, go to www.newportaquarium.com.
Madgascar’s hilarious penguins are getting their own movie. What took them so long? They’ve been the best part of both Madagascar films. DreamWorks should probably have done this instead of Madagascar 2.
Writing duties on the penguin project will go to Megamind scribes Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simon. It’s not entirely clear how they’ll turn the scene-stealing side characters of Skipper, Kowalski, Private, and Rico into mains, the risk here is that their strange style of militaristic, accidental humor might only really work in small doses. They do, however, already have their own TV show on Nickelodeon. The Penguins of Madagascar is now in its second season, and is the network’s second most watched show after Spongebob Squarepants. Maybe they can make this work, and even if they can’t, kids will watch anything with penguins in it.
Hundreds of oil-soaked rockhopper penguins have now been put into ‘rehab’ by Tristan Islanders facing a race against the clock to help save the endangered species. But those assessing the impact of the disaster believe more than 10,000 birds could have been affected.
Local conservationists, volunteers and now experts from the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds have been working tirelessly to help the threatened birds. Almost 500 penguins are already in a rehab shed where a team has begun efforts to stabilise them with fluid, vitamins and charcoal to absorb ingested oil. Another 500 penguins arrived on a rescue boat late last night and a further 500 are awaiting transport to Tristan for the same treatment.
Katrine Herian, who works for the RSPB on the island, says: “The priority is to get food into the birds as they are very hungry. We are trying locally caught fish and some are starting to take small half inch squares of the food. “We will do all we can to clean up as many penguins as possible after this disaster.”
A local barge went out specifically to catch fish for the penguins, which was filleted and fed to the oiled birds.
Washing of the birds will be started once they are stabilised and heaters or infrared bulbs are available to keep them warm afterwards. There is a high risk of pneumonia developing if they are cold. The swimming pool on Tristan has been closed for bathing and is being drained of chlorinated water to be partially refilled and used for birds that are not as badly oiled as others.
The crew of the Oliva, which is still ashore on Tristan, are helping out by building a facility for the birds.
Sarah Sanders from the RSPB’s International Division says: “We still can’t believe this has happened and suspect that the full impacts of the oil spill will still be coming to light in weeks to come. “Unlike previous spills of this size, it didn’t happen way out to sea and gradually approach such a vital conservation area. It struck right at the heart of the penguin colony and it’s devastating to them.”
Nightingale island includes nearly half of the world population of northern rockhopper penguin, one of the world’s most threatened species of penguin. One salvage tug from Cape Town has now arrived on the island and it is hoped a decision will be made quickly to send a second ship shortly.
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 26.03.2011 (Current Article)
Hundreds of oil-soaked rockhopper penguins in the South Atlantic have now been put into ‘rehab’ by Tristan Islanders facing a race against the clock to help save the endangered species.
Hundreds of oil-soaked rockhopper penguins in the South Atlantic have now been put into ‘rehab’ by Tristan Islanders facing a race against the clock to help save the endangered species. See images attached.
But those assessing the impact of the disaster believe more than 10,000 birds could have been affected.
The grounded cargo vessel MS Oliva crashed into Nightingale island – part of the Tristan da Cunha UK overseas territory– ten days ago, and local conservationists and volunteers have been working tirelessly ever since to help the threatened birds.
Almost 500 penguins are already in a rehab shed where a team has begun efforts to stabilise them with fluid, vitamins and charcoal to absorb ingested oil.
Another 500 penguins arrived on a rescue boat late last night and a further 500 are awaiting transport to Tristan for the same treatment.
Katrine Herian, who works for the RSPB on the island, says: “The priority is to get food into the birds as they are very hungry. We are trying locally caught fish and some are starting to take small half inch squares of the food.
“We will do all we can to clean up as many penguins as possible after this disaster.”
A local barge went out specifically to catch fish for the penguins, which was filleted and fed to the oiled birds.
Washing of the birds will be started once they are stabilised and heaters or infrared bulbs are available to keep them warm afterwards. There is a high risk of pneumonia developing if they are cold.
The swimming pool on Tristan has been closed for bathing and is being drained of chlorinated water to be partially refilled and used for birds that are not as badly oiled as others.
The crew of the Oliva, which is still ashore on Tristan, are helping out by building a facility for the birds.
Sarah Sanders from the RSPB’s International Division says: “We still can’t believe this has happened and suspect that the full impacts of the oil spill will still be coming to light in weeks to come.
“Unlike previous spills of this size, it didn’t happen way out to sea and gradually approach such a vital conservation area. It struck right at the heart of the penguin colony and it’s devastating to them.”
Nightingale island includes nearly half of the world population of northern rockhopper penguin, one of the world’s most threatened species of penguin.
One salvage tug from Cape Town has now arrived on the island and it is hoped a decision will be made quickly to send a second ship shortly.
Anyone wanting to donate money to help support the Tristan da Cunha community respond to the environmental disaster can join the UK-based Tristan da Cunha Association which exists to support the island http://www.tristandc.com/newsmsoliva.php
Simone Somerfield runs the Penneshaw Penguin Centre on Kangaroo Island. Picture: Vanessa Hunter Source: The Australian
IF Simone Somerfield had her way, she would teach the little penguins that come to nest at her Penneshaw Penguin Centre on Kangaroo Island not to swim.
It is the only way she can think of stopping what she says is the wholesale slaughter of her flock by an exploding population of New Zealand fur seals on Kangaroo Island, south of Adelaide.
Numbers of little penguins -- also known as fairy penguins on the eastern seaboard -- at Ms Somerfield's Penneshaw centre have collapsed from 200 birds three years ago to less than half a dozen today.
Ms Somerfield says visitors to her penguin-viewing business have watched in horror as seals ambushed birds in the shallows of Penneshaw, on the eastern end of the island, and even followed them onshore to attack.
"Every now and again you would see one penguin being taken and I would say, 'Gee, that's amazing, it's like David Attenborough," Ms Somerfield said. "But then it was more and more and more, and then mass kills in which the seals were not even eating them. It was happening within 100m and you have a complete view, it is was like watching a horror movie."
No one disputes that fur seals have an appetite for penguins. But what is seen as a feral seal problem by some is considered a natural phenomena by South Australia's wildlife authorities who have no taste for what they say would be futile attempts to intervene. Bill Haddrill, Kangaroo Island's conservation program manager with the Department for Environment and Heritage, said New Zealand fur seal numbers were simply rebuilding after being all but wiped out by commercial sealers between 1800 and 1830.
It was likely that penguin numbers and distribution were returning to historical norms, he said.
Penguins are spread widely along the southern coastline of Australia and are not on any endangered list.
Mr Haddrill said, of the South Australian penguin population, 70 per cent were found in the Spencer Gulf, Gulf St Vincent and along the state's west coast to Western Australia. The remaining 30 per cent were located on Kangaroo Island, the Encounter Bay area on the mainland and east to the Victoria border.
While most people can understand the concern of penguin tourism operators at Penneshaw and the island capital of Kingscote, many speculate that the improved facilities had allowed penguin numbers to expand, acting like a honey pot for predatory seals.
"On Kangaroo Island, little penguins are primarily distributed in small groups of between six and 20 birds," Mr Haddrill said. He said Kingscote, on the northern side of the island, now had a steady population of 700 to 800 breeding birds. And while there had been a significant reduction of penguins on the main beach area of Penneshaw, there were higher numbers at the nearby North Shore. "It is not clear if there has been a decline in the overall population or in the distribution along the shore line," Mr Hadrill said.
There is no dispute about the explosion in the number of New Zealand fur seals which, despite their name, are endemic to Australian waters. Simon Goldsworthy, associate professor at Flinders University's School of Biological Sciences, said fur seals were close to wiped out by early colonial sealing. More than 100,000 animals were taken from Kangaroo Island.
Mr Haddrill said there was currently about 25,000 New Zealand fur seals in Kangaroo Island waters, with the population expanding at a compound rate of 10 to 12 per cent a year.With the explosion in seal numbers, Ms Somerfield said she was at a loss to know how the penguins would survive as a species on Kangaroo Island because of the way they were being attacked. "Even if something happened to the seals, the penguin numbers would take a very, very, very long time to recover," she said.
According to Professor Goldsworthy, there will always be little penguin colonies breeding on Kangaroo Island "but large colonies may be a thing of the past because of the recovery of fur seals". That is unless the penguins take Ms Somerfield's advice and stay out of the water.
Baby penguins may come earlier at the Tennessee Aquarium
3/17/2011 3:32:05 PM
Nesting Macaroni Penguins
Attached image: The Tennessee Aquarium’s penguins will begin building nests on Monday, March 21st. This is about two weeks earlier than previous years.
Think You Have It Tough Adjusting to a Time Change? Consider Penguins.
Romance Returns a Bit Early at the Tennessee Aquarium
Chattanooga, Tenn. (March 17, 2011) - While some humans may still be feeling the effects of this week's switch to Daylight Saving Time, at least the time change doesn't trigger hair loss and an overwhelming desire to shout out your loved one's name. But to a penguin, the light cycle dictates the life cycle. Everything from breeding to molting is controlled by the photoperiod, or the length of daylight these birds are exposed to each day. Over the past year, the lighting schedule in the Tennessee Aquarium's penguin exhibit has been gradually changed. This tiny daily time change for the gentoos and macaronis may mean baby penguins appearing earlier than past years. "The new lighting schedule allows visitors a little more viewing time in the evenings," said senior aviculturist Amy Graves. "And that subtle change is telling their bodies that it’s time to breed a little bit earlier this year. So we're going to give the penguins their rocks on March 21st which is about two weeks earlier than previous years."
In preparation for the new breeding season keepers, volunteers and other staff members have been putting in long hours to drain and clean the exhibit, give the birds physical exams and disinfect more than 1,000 pounds of rocks the penguins will use as nesting materials. "Even though the rocks were disinfected coming out of the exhibit last year, we need to disinfect them again," Graves said. "We also need to pick through them to ensure that none of the rocks are broken or small enough to be swallowed by the birds."
The fun for Aquarium visitors begins when keepers bring the "magic" rocks into the exhibit on March 21st at 1:30 pm. That's when they'll see macaronis and gentoos hopping around with rocks in their beaks, choosing just the right construction site and building nests. It's a rather raucous scene as the birds take breaks to loudly vocalize and steal rocks from one another. On top of that, there may be a squabble or two as some of the macaronis quarrel over a mate. "The gentoos are our steady Eddies," said Graves. "They should pair up with the mates they've had in the past. But the macaronis are a whole different ball game." That's because several of the female macaroni penguins think Hercules is the most dashing male of the species at the Aquarium. "So far this year he has chosen Noodle," said aviculturist Loribeth Aldrich."But we have seen other females sitting next to Hercules when Noodle's not around." So keepers say other macaroni pairs are up for grabs until Hercules starts building a nest and makes a last minute decision.
The biggest news may be how many chicks result from the new variables at Penguins' Rock this year. Tennessee Aquarium veterinarian Dr. Chris Keller says there's a possibility that keepers could have their hands full this year. "Theoretically as these birds age and become more mature, their skills and success with breeding and rearing their young will improve," Keller said. "So we think that this season may be more successful than past seasons."
Pepper, a female macaroni, was successfully raised by Chaos and Paulie nearly two years ago. And last season gentoos Biscuit and Blue successfully reared Shivers, also a female.
While no one at the Tennessee Aquarium wants to count penguins before they hatch, everyone is in agreement that visitors will enjoy another season of romance at Penguins' Rock. "It's so much fun to see these birds build nests and watch the drama of the penguin pairs unfold," said Aldrich. "We'll have plenty to observe as eggs and hopefully some penguin babies appear later this spring."
By JOHN COLLINS RUDOLF
Responders to a shipwreck and oil spill off a remote South Atlantic archipelago are in a “race against time” to save thousands of endangered penguins that have been coated in crude, local officials said Thursday.
Hundreds of oiled-soaked rockhopper penguins have been recovered from Nightingale Island, part of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago, where a large freighter ran aground last week, spilling roughly 1,600 tons of heavy fuel oil into the surrounding waters, Sean Burns, the islands’ administrator, said in a statement.
The birds have been collected and transferred to the archipelago’s main island, but rehabilitation efforts have been hampered by a lack of cleaning supplies and equipment, Mr. Burns said. Only one response ship has arrived on the scene from South Africa, and the departure of a second, better-equipped ship has not yet been confirmed.
Tristan da Cunha, a British territory, is one of the most isolated archipelagos in the world and the journey by sea takes between four to six days. The islands have no airport.
“A crucial next step is to confirm a second vessel to depart from Cape Town in the next few days with all the necessary equipment and supplies to clean up the birds, keep them healthy and hopefully return them to the ocean,” Mr. Burns said. “It will be a race against time,” he said.
John Cooper, an information officer for a conservation group monitoring the situation, said the captured penguins could not be fed until a shipment of frozen fish arrived on the second response vessel.
Andrew Gurr, governor of St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, said in a statement that the Tristan government “is committed to ensuring that the ship’s owners will meet the full cost of any clean-up, damage or subsequent losses arising from the situation.”
A wildlife expert on the scene suggested this week that as many as 20,000 rockhopper penguins across several islands may have been affected by oil, but those numbers remain a preliminary estimate and have not been confirmed. Island officials and a wildlife organization participating in the clean-up did not respond to a request for comment on the situation. Other species have also been oiled, including giant petrels and fur seal pups, though the penguins seem to be the primary victims of the spill.
The rockhopper penguin is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and roughly 40 percent of the known population is found on the Tristan da Cunha archipelago.
The heavy oil slick once observed to be surrounding Nightingale Island appears to have significantly dissipated, potentially lowering the risk for extensive additional oiling of wildlife, observers said. Most of the oil within the wrecked vessel, the MS Oliva, also appears to have already have entered the sea.
Globules of crude and patches of diesel continue to be observed floating on the water and on the islands’ beaches, however, and responders are working to keep penguins and other wildlife from entering the water.
Andrew Evans, a correspondent with National Geographic, captured the devastation in a story, video and photographs posted online.
“Ecological disaster is not the story I wanted to send from this place, but it’s the one that is happening here right now,” Mr. Evans wrote. “It was a painful and disturbing scene,” he said. “My only consolation is that the people of Tristan take their birds very seriously and the entire island is contributing to the rescue efforts.”
Ecological disaster is not the story I wanted to send from this place, but it’s the one that is happening here right now.
I sailed to the Tristan Da Cunha island group because I was following a lifelong dream. The remotest set of inhabited islands in the world promised serenity, calm and safety from the ills and pollution that plague other parts of the world. Alas, even those distant problems found their way to these pristine shores in the South Atlantic.
A week ago today, (March 16), the MV Oliva (Valetta) crashed on the rocks of Nightingale Island, spilling its cargo of soybeans and some 800 tons of fuel oil onto the coast. The ship was crossing the Atlantic from Brazil to Singapore when for reasons still unknown, it hit the island’s coast at a speed of 14 knots.
The captain and all crew escaped the vessel, but by last Saturday the ship had begun to break up in the heavy surf. The oil slick had spread around the island and then out to sea in the direction of Inaccessible Island.
Our ship, the MV National Geographic Explorer arrived at Tristan Da Cunha yesterday and sailed to Nightingale Island this morning, as intended on our original itinerary with Lindblad Expeditions. Instead of mere bird watching, we were met with the disturbing sight of penguins and seals coated in sticky black oil.
Nightingale Island is home to some 20,000 of the endangered sub-species of Northern Rockhopper Penguin. Sadly, these are the birds that were hit the hardest—thousands are expected to die from the effects of the oil spill. While this spill is relatively minor in comparison to so many in the world today, it represents a major calamity for the fragile birdlife on pristine Nightingale Island and a heavy blow to the small group of islanders of nearby Tristan da Cunha.
Today, I watched as 750 oil-soaked penguins were collected off Nightingale Island and removed to nearby Tristan da Cunha where they will be cleaned with detergent and hot water. I held a dead, oil-stained penguin in my hands, it’s tiny body showing the stress of the spill but also the season itself.
The oil spill occurred at the tail end of the rockhoppers’ molting season, worsening the natural struggle of the skinny penguins to return to the sea and find enough fish to survive. In order to prevent the penguins from returning to the sea, large pens have been set up on Nightingale Island.
Today I watched as oil-stained penguins preened the oil from their feathers, which causes them to ingest large amounts of petroleum and will kill them if they are not treated. Oil-soaked fur seal pups also hid among the rocks and tussock grass of the islands, leaving oil stains on the ground around them.
A crisis response team had arrived by tugboat from South Africa—a four-day journey by sea. Commercial divers were on the scene to help dismantle the shipwreck and attempt to prevent further fuel from spilling out into the sea.
Another fear is the introduction of rats from the ship to the island, which could decimate the local bird population, including several endemics to the Tristan Island group. Three different types of rat traps had been laid on the island, and according to Tristan’s conservation officer Trevor Glass, no rats have been seen or trapped so far.
I took these images this morning while walking around Nightingale Island (and there are many more to follow). It was a painful and disturbing scene. My only consolation is that the people of Tristan take their birds very seriously and the entire island is contributing to the rescue efforts.
The Penguin Camera is located on Torgersen Island (64°46’S, 64°04’W), off the coast of Anvers Island and less than a mile from Palmer Station. Torgersen Island is home to a colony of Adélie penguins numbering approximately 2,500. This camera is seasonal and operates primarily from October to February, the Adélie breeding season. The camera is solar-powered and may sometimes experience brief outages due to inclement weather. School classrooms and other educational demonstrations will often take control of the camera, moving it to gain better views of the colony.
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