Taking care of rambling penguins

By David Bruce on Wed, 25 Jan 2012

The Regions: North Otago | Your Town: Oamaru

 

Protecting Oamaru Harbour's blue penguins are volunteers (from left) Judy Stevenson, Shirley Keen, Julie Everson and Bruce Boxall. Photo by David Bruce.

Blue penguins at Oamaru Harbour have four new advocates - volunteers looking after their welfare and ensuring visitors do not disrupt the birds' nesting patterns. The volunteer scheme was set up last year by the Waitaki Tourism Association and those who turned out, up to four nights a week depending on demand, were doing a great job, association executive member Carol Scott said yesterday.
However, more volunteers were still needed.
The decision to set up the volunteer group followed comments about the increasing numbers of visitors to the harbour and the effect they were having on blue penguins.
The penguins nest all around the harbour and people and traffic posed a danger when the birds returned from sea to their nests at dusk. Visitors, not understanding how things such as flash photography could disrupt the penguins, were also causing problems.
The advocates, wearing reflective vests, patrolled the harbour area, stopping traffic to let penguins cross and informing visitors on foot how to behave.
Most visitors appreciated the information and followed instructions not to photograph or disrupt the penguins' paths.
The advocates also encouraged people to visit the penguin colony to see and learn more about the birds, she said.
The Department of Conservation trained the advocates and visited regularly to follow what they were doing when they were on duty. The advocates had become very protective of the penguins and active in ensuring their welfare, she said.

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