Sunday, January 30, 2011

Image of the Day


Macaroni penguins...
Originally uploaded by Jo Sze
on Cooper Island ("Le Diamant" December 2009)

More Images of the Cincinnati Zoo Newborn

It's Raining Little Penguins!

A bird in hand... baby penguin at the Cinncinnati Zoo
Apparently it's baby penguin season on ZooBorns with the latest adorable installment coming direct from the Cincinnati Zoo. This Little Penguin chick is just two-weeks old and is currently being cared for behind the scenes, inside the Zoo's Wings of Wonder exhibit.The chick weighs approximately 250 grams (or a quarter-pound), but is expected to weigh just over two pounds as an adult. Mom, “Oreo” (7-years-old) and dad, “Boomer” (8-years-old), were not properly incubating the egg, so staff at the Cincinnati Zoo made the decision to pull the egg and incubate it themselves. Little Penguins are the smallest species of penguin but that doesn't mean this chick doesn't like to eat. Zoo aviculture staff have to feed the demanding little bird six times a day, every three hours. At first it was fed a delicious fish milkshake but has since graduated to slices of fish (sashimi if you will).
Feed me! -  Baby penguin at the Cinncinnati Zoo
Baby penguin at the Cinncinnati Zoo
Don't miss this great video



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Saturday, January 29, 2011

More Images of Tomas' Rescue

Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, was transferred to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island this week. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards after losing his way and landing at a beach in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according to the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

A lifeguard swims with Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, after releasing him near a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.
 

A lifeguard swims with Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, after releasing him near a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Photograph by: MARIANA BAZO, REUTERS

Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, walks next to a mural at the headquarters of the police Salvage Unit in Chorrillos, before he is transferred to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.
 

Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, walks next to a mural at the headquarters of the police Salvage Unit in Chorrillos, before he is transferred to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Photograph by: MARIANA BAZO, REUTERS

A lifeguard holds Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, before he is transferred by boat to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.
 

A lifeguard holds Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, before he is transferred by boat to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Photograph by: MARIANA BAZO, REUTERS


Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, walks on the beach in Chorrillos, before he is transferred to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.
 

Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, walks on the beach in Chorrillos, before he is transferred to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Photograph by: MARIANA BAZO, REUTERS

Lifeguards swim with Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, after releasing him near a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.
 

Lifeguards swim with Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, after releasing him near a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Photograph by: MARIANA BAZO, REUTERS

A lifeguard releases Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, near a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

A lifeguard releases Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, near a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Photograph by: MARIANA BAZO, REUTERS



Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, waits in a boat in Chorrillos, before he is transferred to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.
 

Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, waits in a boat in Chorrillos, before he is transferred to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Photograph by: MARIANA BAZO, REUTERS


A lifeguard holds Tomas, a lost Humboldt penguin, before he is transferred by boat to a penguin colony on San Lorenzo Island January 26, 2011. Tomas was rescued by lifeguards on Sunday after losing his way and landing at the beach of Agua Dulce in the Lima district of Chorrillos. Humboldt penguins, poached for meat and sought after as household pets, are considered an endangered species according the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Photograph by: MARIANA BAZO, REUTERS

 Source

Meet Pudding

Friday, 28 January 2011

Video: Pudding the baby penguin HERE


A penguin chick has become a big attraction at a seaside nature centre in Lincolnshire.
Pudding the penguin was born on Christmas Day at Natureland in Skegness.
It is only the second penguin to be born at the centre in 16 years.
Natureland director Duncan Yeadon said the penguin is doing well and has received a lot of interest from visitors to the centre and from people leaving comments on Natureland's Facebook page.

AWWWW

Warming the quarter-pounder: A stuffed doggy comforts a tiny (four ounces) Little Penguin chick in an incubator at the Cincinnati Zoo. The baby is 2 weeks old.

This Week's Pencognito!!

http://pengcognito.com/pengtoons/chochotel-1.jpghttp://pengcognito.com/pengtoons/chochotel-2.jpghttp://pengcognito.com/pengtoons/chochotel-3.jpghttp://pengcognito.com/pengtoons/chochotel-4.jpgPlease visit Jen and all the Pengies HERE

Image of the Day


201011101609_03692-Edit
Originally uploaded by RosieA100
Rockhopper Penguins, Bleaker Island, Falklands

Friday, January 28, 2011

Hands off my new penguin mate

Hands off my new penguin mate, says sheepdog Eudy

dog
Eudy the maremma cuddles up to a penguin chick. Picture: Robin Sharrock Source: Herald Sun
 
HE may be big and have sharp teeth, but Eudy is the best friend this penguin chick could ever want.
Eudy and his pal, Tula, protect Warrnambool's fairy penguin population from the hungry jaws of foxes and stray dogs.

The maremma sheepdogs are now more important than ever with the penguins' breeding season in full swing.
Coastcare facilitator Marty Gent said the population was at 10 when the dogs began patrolling Middle Island in 2005. There's now an estimated 180 penguins on the island, a stone's throw from the Warrnambool coastline.

"They've saved the colony," Ms Gent said.

"It was being completely decimated but, thanks to all the great Coastcare volunteers and the Department of Sustainability and Environment, we've got these great dogs."

Guarding animals is a traditional role for the maremma breed. The dogs originated in Italy, where they protected flocks of sheep and goats from wolves and bears.

Ms Gent said the scent of the dogs was enough to drive off marauding foxes.

It was local farmer Allan "Swampy" Marsh -- who uses maremmas to protect his free-range chickens -- and Deakin student Dave Williams who had the idea of employing the maremmas to protect the penguins. There were some initial hurdles -- both dogs swam back to shore -- but, with the help of 200 volunteers, the program is now a huge success.

Eudy and Tula, both two years old, have just graduated from training and will now spend up to four nights on the island unaccompanied by a handler. Their busiest period is from July to March when penguin parents are producing more happy feet.

Source 

Stigma shows in court for assault accused


generic judge
. Source: The Daily Telegraph
 
JAMES Oatley tried his best to avoid any eye contact with the female pensioner he is alleged to have assaulted. The grandson of Wild Oats XI and Hamilton Island owner Bob Oatley sat nervously as he waited for his name to be called out at Manly Local Court yesterday morning. 

Sitting behind him was his alleged victim and "penguin protector" Johnyth Burton, 72.
After a brief appearance, Oatley left the court shadowed by a group of volunteer penguin wardens.
The Mosman resident is alleged to have assaulted Ms Burton on New Year's Day as she tried to protect Manly's endangered penguins.

The 28-year-old rushed past the media as he left the court with his father Ian.
"Of course I don't want to speak with you," he said.
It is believed police will allege that Oatley and a group of mates boarded Ozon, a boat skippered by Dustin Jeffery Burgess, on January 1.
The boat approached a beach on Manly Cove where Ms Burton and her friend Angelika Treichler stood about 9.15pm.
A dog allegedly jumped from the boat and rushed towards Ms Burton.
Seven penguins were killed by a dog in the area a few weeks before the incident.
When Ms Burton started taking photos of Oatley and his friends, he allegedly splashed water at her and then moved towards her, knocking her to the ground.
Ms Treichler said they would continue to protect the dwindling penguin population. "We will not stop helping these animals because it's very important. Our members are still shocked and Johnyth is still recovering," she said.
Burgess pleaded guilty to drink driving after recording a blood alcohol reading of 0.145 while in charge of a vessel.
The 27-year-old, who has previously been convicted of driving under the influence and disqualified for driving for three years, will be sentenced on Wednesday.
Oatley is due to return to court next Thursday.

Source 

A Humboldt Penguin's Road Home

Photo of the Day: A Humboldt Penguin's Road Home

Tomas, a wayward Humboldt penguin found off the coast of Peru, takes the express boat back to a penguin colony at San Lorenzo Island.
picday_penguin
'I hope you found my tie. This tux looks naked without it.' (Photo: Mariana Bazo/Reuters)

Lifeguards, recognizing a lost penguin when they see one, picked up the little bird off Agua Dulce beach near Lima. Poached for meat and prized as pets, Humboldts are an endangered species according to the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Tomas's story is as old as time: one moment you're kicking about with the lads, mind elsewhere; next thing you're alone, no idea where the flock everyone went. Lost and abandoned, you end the afternoon center stage in an interspecies rescue mission, cutting a wake to San Lorenzo Island in the belly of a speed boat.
It's uncertain how the penguin's transport team knew his name was Tomas and that he was headed to San Lorenzo. TakePart only hopes that the freedom-loving bird wasn't swept up by well-meaning but misguided humans after waiting his entire life to get off that god-forsaken island.

Source

Image of the Day

 
Getty Images
A group of King Penguins walk on the snow-covered road at Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Japan.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Waddle, waddle, waddle

 
Getty Images
A group of King Penguins walk on the snow-covered road at Asahiyama Zoo in Asahikawa, Japan.

Tomas The Penguin Lost In Lima, Taken In By Police (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post  Joanna Zelman 
Posted: 01/27/11
Sure there are police dogs, but what about police penguins? A penguin in Peru recently lost his way, and waddled miles from his beach home into the country's bustling capital city, Lima.

The Humboldt penguin, named Tomas, was taken into the city's police station, where he has become a local celebrity. According to Reuters, he enjoys posing for pictures and is receiving plenty of attention from local beachgoers. Tomas has been examined by a vet, and the station is deciding the best option for the penguin's future.

Humboldt penguins are considered an endangered species, with only 10,000 left in the wild.




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Emperor Penguins gripped by grief's icy hand

Mourning penguins
A lone adult Emperor penguin walks among dead chicks in Antarctica. Picture: Daniel J. Cox / Barcroft Pacific Source: Supplied
Mourning penguins
A rare glimpse of Emperor penguins mourning their lost chicks in Antarctica. Picture: Daniel J. Cox / Barcroft Pacific   Source: Supplied
  • Rare photo of 100 penguins in grief
  • Penguins "mourning in a human-like way"
  • Photographer says sight "heart-wrenching"
WHEN a child dies, the community mourns.
This is true for humans — and penguins, too.
Wildlife photographer Daniel J Cox has captured an extraordinary image of more than 100 Emperor Penguins mourning their lost chicks in Antarctica.
The animals, scattered across the ice into the distance, are either lying down or hunched over in a human-like expression of grief.
Cox said he didn't know why the chicks died, but he had been advised it was not unheard of.
"Weather and things like starvation, if there is a food shortage, can cause this kind of sad event," he told the Daily Mail.
"Part of my job is to accept that with the spectacular sights of nature also come the stark facts of life."
In one of Cox's images, a lone adult penguin can be seen walking amongst the bodies of chicks frozen to the ground on the Riiser Larsen Ice Shelf.
"To see Emperor Penguins mourning in a human-like way over the death of their chicks is heart-wrenching," Cox said.
"They hunch over like they are in a state of grief and they wander around the frozen ice wastes attempting to locate their chicks."
The penguins' mourning — rarely observed, let alone photographed — would be compounded by the sacrifices made to raise their young.
The Emperor Penguin, a serially monogamous species, invests a lot of time and care into its offspring. It journeys up to 120km over the Antarctic ice during winter to breed — the only animal to do so in the freezing region's coldest season.
The female lays just one egg each season, which is carefully incubated by the male for two months while the mother feeds. The male will not eat, and can lose over 10kg during this incubation phase which includes rotating huddles with other males to preserve body heat against the harsh winds.
Freshly hatched chicks completely rely on their parents for warmth and food in the first two months. If they survive the unforgiving climate, Emperor penguins can have a lifespan of 20 years or more.

The Cincinnati Zoo welcomes a baby penguin with open arms

Posted: Jan 26, 2011 2:52 PM CST Updated: Jan 27, 2011 10:50 AM CST

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX 19)--The Cincinnati Zoo is proud to announce their newest family member-a two-week old Little Penguin! The chick is currently being cared for in the Zoo's Wings of Wonder exhibit. This Spring, visitors will be able to see newest adorable addition in the Spaulding Children's Zoo.
The chick weighs just under a half-pound and is expected to weigh just over 2 lbs. as an adult.
The Cincinnati Zoo is home to one of only four Little Penguin colonies in the U.S. and has successfully hatched 22 Little Penguins to date.

Source

Magellanics welcome snow at Bronx Zoo

Magellanic Penguins Frolic in Snow at Bronx Zoo



Magellanic Penguins picture 
Julie Larsen Maher (C) Wildlife Conservation Society

The cold weather sure makes us reluctant to leave the house, but the Bronx Zoo’s Magellanic penguins, Danny and Hugo, saw New York City’s recent snowfall as the perfect excuse to burn off some energy!
Magellanic penguins are native to Southern Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands, where mated, monogamous couples live within large groups. However, commercial fishing and habitat pollution has put these creatures in danger.

Source

The Wildlife Conservation Society is working hard to protect breeding sites and manage penguin populations in Coastal Patagonia. If you’re looking for a way to help out the penguins, consider signing up for the third annual Run for the Wild 5k run/walk (waddlers are welcome!), taking place Apr. 30 at the zoo.

Oatley in court over penguin warden assault

Updated Thu Jan 27, 2011 
A member of a prominent yachting family has appeared in a Sydney court accused of assaulting a community member assigned to help protect penguins in the Manly area.
James Oatley, 28, is the grandson of the millionaire owner of the Sydney to Hobart yacht winner Wild Oats 11.

Oatley has appeared briefly in Manly Local Court this morning.
He faces charges after a 72-year-old penguin warden was assaulted on New Years Day at Manly Cove.
It is alleged Oatley pushed the warden after she complained about a dog which had jumped from Oatley's boat and started to chase penguins.

The accused walked sheepishly from court after his matter was adjourned until February seventh.

Source

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Image of the Day


Penguin pays visit to Weigel




Paula, a penguin from the Newport Aquarium, recently paid a visit to Weigel Elementary School.

Paula and her caretakers -- Rainforest Curator Ric Urban and Newport Aquarium Educator Siobhan Slone – visited the fifth-grade students at the Colerain Township school on Jan. 13. Urban provided detailed information about Paula, the South African penguin and other species of penguins.

The visit was part of a prize that fifth grader Paul Burkart won. Paul entered an aquarium contest that tasked second- through sixth-grade students with writing an essay or poem addressing “Why Energy Conservation is Important to Our Future.” As one of five winning entries, Paul’s poem, “Keeping Our Earth Clean,” earned him the school visit by Paula, a certificate and $100 for Weigel Elementary to use towards a new or existing conservation project.

Source


Weigel fifth grader Paul Burkart is pictured with Paula the penguin. (Provided photo)

The case of the travelling French penguin

A small French village has become gripped by the fate of a plastic penguin that disappeared from a public Christmas display, after photographs of the stolen statue were posted on a blog from landmarks around France.

A small French village has become gripped by the fate of a plastic penguin that disappeared from a public Christmas display, after photographs of the stolen statue were posted on a blog from landmarks around France.
'I've decided to go on a little tour of France,' Pingu claimed on his blog 
 
The village of Céret, in the Pyrenees has been following 'Pingu's' movements ever since the metre-high bird vanished along with its mother and two brothers from an arctic-themed display in late December; an anonymous blog announced it had "gone North in search of a temperature more suited to its lifestyle".

"I know my mother was kidnapped I fled that night. For now the idea of returning scares me. For this reason, I've decided to go on a little tour of France," 'Pingu' claimed on his blog.
Since then, images have been posted of Pingu in the Champagne region in front of a statue of Dom Pérignon, with a note saying he "adores" bubbly, another in Disneyland Paris, where he laments that Disney has never made a film "starring a penguin", and a third at Chateau-Thierry, native town of Jean de La Fontaine, whose fables, he notes sadly, do not mention one of his kind.


Read the rest of the story here at the source

New blog shares Antarctic research

From the University of Delaware: 

A satellite-tagged Adelie penguin.


8:34 a.m., Jan. 24, 2011----A new University of Delaware blog transports readers to penguin rookeries at the bottom of the globe, where a team of scientists is using underwater robots and satellites to understand where and how the birds feed.

Based in the West Antarctic Peninsula, the scientists fit selected penguins with satellite transmitters that allow them to map the penguins' tracks. Underwater vehicles then allow the scientists to examine the foraging habits of Adélie penguins, which are experiencing significant population declines.

The Antarctic team comprises UD's Matthew Oliver, assistant professor of oceanography in the College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, and researchers from Rutgers University, Polar Oceans Research Group, and C

Source

A Penguin in Police Custody


January 25, 2011
LIMA, Peru - One penguin recently took a wrong turn in Peru and ended up in police custody.
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The penguin, who has been dubbed Tomas, apparently lost his way and landed miles from home on the beaches of the Peruvian capital.
Police found the penguin and brought him back to their station, where Tomas has been enjoying local celebrity status.
Officers are taking care of him until he can be returned to his colony on an island off Peru's coast.
Tomas is a Humboldt penguin and his species is native to the coasts of Peru and Chile. They were given protected status under the Endangered Species Act last year.

Source

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Knoxville Zoo Penguin News

The Knoxville Zoo is offering one free admission ticket with the purchase of another when individuals bring an outdated phone book through January.

The offer is part of the recycling program partnership between the Knoxville Zoo and AT&T Real Yellow Pages.

Admission is currently half price during "Penguin Discount Days," which means individuals with a phone book to recycle can receive two admission tickets for half the cost of one regular ticket.

The Knoxville Zoo is open every day 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The phone book recycling offer will end Jan. 31.

Source

He Really Likes Penguins

'Bird geek' is man behind the penguins

By John Johnston • jjohnston@enquirer.com • January 23, 2011 

His official title at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is aviculturist.
Or, as Cody Sowers puts it, "I'm kind of a bird geek."
True bird geek that he is, Sowers isn't in it for the glamour. The 29-year-old Milford resident doesn't mind toiling in a cold, wet environment; or thawing and preparing 60 pounds of frozen fish for the 100 or so birds in his care; or cleaning exhibits - "we're hosing poop," he says - before the first zoo visitors arrive.
Photo gallery
As a keeper in the polar section of the Wings of the World exhibit, he works with about 20 species of sea birds from the Arctic and Antarctic, including penguins, puffins and auklets. The zoo has several species of auklets that are not housed anywhere else the world.
If Sowers does find himself in a foul - rather than fowl - mood, all he need do, he says, is glance at the people streaming through the bird house.
"You see kids and adults - everybody - just so excited to be here. That kinds of keeps me in check because even if I'm having a bad day, all these people would probably pay to be standing right here."
"Right here" is behind the glass of the Sub Antarctic Coast display, where it's 40 degrees and Sowers has just finished hand-feeding six king penguins. The second largest penguin species, king penguins stand about 3 feet tall and weigh up to 35 pounds.
Those are the birds he helps guide through the park for the Penguin Parade at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. daily through February.
It's nothing like herding cats, he says.
"Since they're a colony animal, they like to stay in a large group. As long as they're together, they're comfortable."
Sowers, who has a degree in natural and historical interpretation from Hocking College, is particularly comfortable talking to zoo visitors.
"One of the favorite parts of my job is trying to get people to appreciate nature. Everybody likes penguins, but then you put a penguin in front of them, and tell them why the penguin is so amazing, and you can see it kind of click.
"Penguins are so bizarre in the bird world. They don't fly. They spend the majority of their lifetime swimming. Their bones are solid as opposed to hollow.
"More often than not, people don't realize penguins are birds."
Sowers, whose SeaWorld and zoo jobs have allowed him to work with 10 of the 17 penguin species, didn't grow up pining to be a penguin expert. He grew up on a farm in southeastern Ohio, graduated from college and got a job with Ohio's state park system. After marrying and moving to California, he couldn't latch on to a parks job, so he worked as an educator at SeaWorld in San Diego.
When he and his wife, Melanie, returned to Ohio 2½ years ago, the Cincinnati Zoo hired him not only because he's affable, but because of his SeaWorld training, says David Oehler, director of animal collections.
In the wild, penguins, puffins and auklets live in pristine environments. In captivity, "those birds are a challenge," Oehler says. "The air quality, the water quality, the type of feed they get - everything has to be perfect, and he understands that."
The zoo sent Sowers to Maine for two weeks last spring to work with Project Puffin, a seabird restoration program of the National Audubon Society. He slept in a lighthouse on an island 20 miles into the Atlantic coast and arose as early as 3 a.m. some mornings to hike to a bird blind with 20 pounds of gear. Then, he'd settle in for four hours to observe razorbills, a penguin-like bird in the auk family.
"Fantastic," he says.
He has introduced his wife to bird-watching, but, "I like a little bit more fast-paced things," Melanie says diplomatically.
Even though the bedroom of their 2½-year-old, Lucy, has a penguin theme, that's not her favorite zoo animal.
"She'll say, 'I don't want to go to the bird house, Daddy. I want to see elephants!'" her father says.
So, for now, when it comes being a bird geek, he's flying solo.

Source

Dangerous conditions close Penguin Island sandbar

Posted Mon Jan 24, 2011 11:19am AEDT

Penguin island risk sign
The treacherous Penguin Island sandbar is again closed due to dangerous conditions
The sandbar to Penguin Island where two men drowned last month, has been closed until tomorrow morning.
The Department of Environment and Conservation says strong winds and tides have made conditions in the area too dangerous for people to try to cross the sandbar.
Visitors are being urged to use a ferry service to access the island.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Image of the Day


Rockhopper
Originally uploaded by zweiblumen
Rockhopper penguin, Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

This Week's Pencognito!!

http://pengcognito.com/pengtoons/bestweapon-1.jpghttp://pengcognito.com/pengtoons/bestweapon-2.jpghttp://pengcognito.com/pengtoons/bestweapon-3.jpghttp://pengcognito.com/pengtoons/bestweapon-4.jpgPlease visit Jen and all the pengies by clicking here!

Dying birds stir extinction fears

Dying birds stir extinction fears

KIRAN CHUG
22/01/2011

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Little penguins are dying in their hundreds, leading conservationists to fear they are starving as a result of the La Nina weather system.
Other seabirds are washing up dead on beaches, raising concerns that species could become extinct if climate change causes extreme weather events to become more frequent.
At Wellington Zoo, two starving little blue penguin chicks have been brought in this week. One died on Wednesday and the other, found at Lyall Bay, was hanging on to life yesterday.
The zoo's veterinary science manager, Lisa Argilla, said petrels were also starving around Wellington's south coast, and five shags had been brought in this month. "They're unable to find enough food. We've had a lot of starvations and a lot of mortalities."
At Banks Peninsula, hundreds of little white-flippered penguin chicks have died of starvation, according to Shireen Helps, who has been caring for the colony on her property for about 25 years.
"There were chicks dying in their burrows, in the hillside, and heaps dying on the water."
Dr Argilla said the calm La Nina seas meant fewer small fish and plankton close to the surface of the water for them to feed on.
Those brought into the zoo were likely to be just a very small portion of those dying. She was concerned that more frequent extreme weather events could lead to extinctions in some species – penguins, for example, needed five or six years of good conditions for populations to regenerate.
The strong La Nina had brought with it conditions that made for a bad breeding year. "They're natural occurrences that always happen, but now they're happening more regularly and it's playing havoc with wildlife populations."
However, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research principal scientist James Renwick said it was unknown whether La Nina would be stronger or happen more frequently in future.
This year's La Nina was the strongest since 1975, when Conservation Department seabird scientist Graeme Taylor said many hundreds of seabirds died.
This year shearwaters in northern North Island colonies were dying because of a lack of feeding opportunities, he said, and gannets at Muriwai and Great Barrier Island had experienced a "major failure" of breeding. "Birds are just sitting on empty nests."
Mrs Helps and husband Francis have 1063 breeding pairs at their colony, but most of the chicks that hatched between October and December have died.
The population had risen from 717 breeding pairs in 2000, but Mrs Helps believed the number of little penguins at the colony could fall next year.
Unusually warm currents had made it difficult for adults to find food, leading them to stay out searching at sea for too long while their chicks needed feeding, she said.
"The chicks got thirsty and hungry and realised Mum and Dad weren't coming back. A lot ended up in the sea but they were too young."
The penguins needed to weigh at least a kilogram before they could survive at sea, but when chicks were rescued, it was initially difficult to get them eating again.
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"If they've had no food for a long time, their whole system shuts down and they can't digest it. Even if you feed them, they start spitting it up again."
Conservation Department vet Kate McInnes said that, during La Nina, cold currents did not come up around New Zealand and stir up the ocean to bring food near the surface.
She also advised that freeing birds rescued from starvation was risky.
"There's still no food out there."
Niwa marine ecologist Leigh Torres said albatrosses were showing signs of being "hungrier" this year.
Around the Snares Islands, 200 kilometres south of the South Island, birds were searching harder for prey and flying closer to fishing boats.
Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony manager Jason Gaskill said no chicks there had starved, but warmer sea surface temperatures led to poorer breeding conditions for fish and less food for penguins, which would affect this year's season.
- The Dominion Post

Source 

Family of penguins moving in next to London Eye


Family of penguins moving in next to London Eye

Rob Parsons
21 Jan 2011
The coldest and most inhospitable place on earth is set to be recreated in central London - as a home for a family of penguins.
The Sea Life London Aquarium is bringing the distinctive gentoo penguins to its base near the London Eye to add to its more familiar cast of sharks, turtles and sting rays. The aquarium has worked with experts from the British Antarctic Survey to recreate a South Pole research centre.
From late spring, visitors will be able to see the penguins, easily recognisable by the wide white stripes on their heads, alongside other Antarctic creatures such as spider crabs. Interactive features will include looking at the world through snow goggles and a penguin-viewing ice cave.
Adult gentoos reach a height of 51cm to 90cm, making them the largest penguins after the two giant species, the Emperor Penguin and the King Penguin.
The arrival of the gentoos comes as London Zoo prepares a new attraction, dubbed Penguin Beach, which will allow the number of its penguins to increase from 40 to 150.

Source

Penguin rescue at St Clair beach

Department of Conservation officer, David Agnew rescues a Yellow Eyed Penguin (hoiho) at St Clair beach early on Friday evening.
The penguin was spotted by local amateur wildlife photographer Steve Ferguson, in a very distressed state, trying repeatedly to climb sandbank to the safety of tussock bushes nearby.
Mr Agnew said the penguin was a mature male, showing signs of molt and was very thin.
There is a wound under the penguin's left wing, but Mr. Agnew thought this was only superficial. Unique to New Zealand, the Yellow Eyed Penguin is thought to be the world's rarest penguin.
This penguin has been taken to Penguin Place on the Peninsula to recuperate. 

Image of the Day

Credit: Antarctic Photo Library of the US Antarctic Program, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Gotta have one of these!

Penguin USB Flash Drive

Penguin USB Flash Drive


Product Features
  • High-Speed USB 2.0 certified
  • Durable solid rubber casing
  • Hot Plug and Play; Functions like another hard drive
  • No driver needed for most operating systems
  • Support: Windows 7, Vista, XP, 2000 and Mac OS
  • Dimension: 59 x 40 x 17mm (approx.)
  • Weight: 18g
Penguin USB Flash Drive
The Penguin USB Flash Drive  can be had for $19 at the USB Geek website.

New penguins arrive in Weymouth


By Zoe Kleinman
Reporter, BBC Dorset

Gentoo penguins
The Gentoo penguins travelled for 14 hours by road from Edinburgh.
A group of 10 Gentoo penguins from a Scottish zoo has taken up residence at Weymouth Sea Life Park following a 14-hour van journey across the UK.
The penguins will remain there until Easter a permanent home in the London Sea Life Aquarium is ready for them.
They are sharing an adapted enclosure with the park's permanent residents, a group of Humboldt penguins.
Some of the Gentoos have paired-off but Weymouth staff hope they do not breed during their stay.
"We want to get them moved to London first," said displays curator and marine expert Fiona Smith.
The new arrivals travelled from Edinburgh Zoo to the south coast in specially ordered dog kennels and were placed in the enclosure still inside them while they acclimatised to their new surroundings and neighbours, the Humboldts.
Meeting the neighbours
"They are two species that wouldn't meet in the wild," said Sarah Moseley who looks after the park's penguin population.
"The Gentoos are quite a bit bigger than ours. Hopefully they will gradually intermingle."
penguins
The penguins travelled in individual kennels inside a chilled van.
A few alterations had to be made to the enclosure in order to accommodate the new arrivals, added Ms Smith.
"Because we haven't kept this species together before, we've got a little fenced-off area for them to chill-out in if they don't get on quite as well as we anticipate.
"Gentoos are very good at jumping out of water, they really do soar out of the water onto the land.
"We felt our enclosure fences weren't quite high enough for these athletic penguins so we've also increased that slightly during their stay."
Their keepers will know whether the birds are settled by their feeding patterns but initially they were showing encouraging signs of liking their new surroundings, said Ms Smith.
"They came straight out into the main enclosure very quickly.
"They are very relaxed and intrigued."

 Source