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Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
A Tighter Focus Yields Dividends for Penguins
By LESLIE KAUFMAN
St. Louis ZooA Humboldt penguin at a breeding colony in Punta San Juan, Peru.
The brother and sister waddled up, unperturbed, allowing their rubbery coats to be stroked and occasionally letting out a formidable braying sound as a greeting. Except for an occasional jet of guano, they were delightful. That’s why the St. Louis Zoo casts the animals as “ambassadors” and has them meet with schoolchildren, visiting dignitaries and, most important, donors.
Zoos frequently describe their live collections as a way of educating people about the animals’ struggling kin in the wild — and of raising money to protect them and their natural habitats
There are still roughly 60,000 Humboldts left along the coasts of Peru and Chile, but the bird numbers are steeply lower than late-19th-century levels of a million or more. One important reason is that their guano, which builds up in thick layers as it dries, is valuable to villagers in those countries. Penguins use it to build their nests; people come in and strip-mine the guano to sell as valuable fertilizer.
Working with a consortium of zoos and conservation groups, the St. Louis Zoo has helped persuade Peru to declare Punta San Juan, the home of the largest remaining penguin breeding colony, a park reserve. The campaign also led to the adoption of a policy under which guano can be harvested only every five to seven years.
The program costs money. The St. Louis Zoo alone now sends $60,000 a year to the reserve to help pay for guards who enforce policies. The zoo also sends a rotation of its own keepers to do health assessments on the penguins, taking blood and checking vital signs. This is vital, zoo officials say, because it would be devastating to the species if an outbreak of disease wiped out the colony.
St. Louis Zoo officials have decided that spending more money on a few selected programs is a better way of helping endangered species than spending less on many projects.
When Jeffrey Bonner became St. Louis’s president and chief executive in 2002, the zoo had over 100 programs to assist conservation in the wild. Most of the programs received $1,000 to $10,000 a year, barely enough to make a difference. He had his staff choose just 12. In the last year, the zoo split $844,000 among these programs.
“Instead of making a little difference in a lot of places,” Dr. Bonner wrote, “we are making a profound and lasting difference in a few places.”
Here’s an entertaining video from the zoo about the penguin conservation effort in Punta San Juan.
source
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Sunday, May 27, 2012
More News on Tokyo's Recaptured Penguin
Fugitive penguin nabbed in Tokyo miles from zoo - The one-year-old Humboldt penguin escaped two month ago
By Nina Mandell / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Friday, May 25, 2012
Tokyo Sea Life Park/AFP/Getty Images
This picture released by Tokyo Sea Life Park shows a rescued penguin
after it was recaptured, which had escaped from the park on March 4 in
Tokyo.
Two months after escaping from an aquarium in Tokyo, a penguin known as Number 337 was caught late Thursday night, The BBC reported.
The Humboldt penguin had been spotted this month within miles of the Tokyo Sea Life Park but officials hadn’t been able to capture it.
But on Thursday evening, two divers reportedly went into the river after sighting the wanted fugitive and secured it.
“It hasn’t lost weight,” a Tokyo Sea Life Park spokeswoman told the BBC. “It hasn’t got fatter either, but its health seems good.”
The one-year-old penguin is one of 135 penguins at the park, according to the report.
In the day following the penguin’s escape in March, the park received hundreds of tips from people claiming they had seen Number 337, Reuters reported this month.
Only 30 tips, according to the report, were thought to be genuine. Finally, the penguin was identified by its flipper and facial patterns.
Within days, officials zoomed in on it and were able to capture it.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recaptured penguin gets pink eye
The runaway penguin recaptured Thursday after 82 days on the lam has developed the eye infection conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye, according to a veterinarian who examined the bird.The 1-year-old Humboldt penguin escaped from Tokyo Sea Life Park (Kasai Rinkai Suizoku-en), run by the Tokyo metropolitan government. It was spotted swimming near Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay and other locations before it was recaptured.
The park's penguin pool uses seawater from Tokyo Bay that has been filtered and sterilized. A park official speculated the bird's eye problem was caused by bad water quality in Tokyo Bay.
Water quality in the bay has gradually improved in recent years. However, its chemical oxygen demand (COD), a reference index of water quality, exceeds the environmental standard at four out of eight marine areas where the metropolitan government conducts regular research.
The park plans to treat the penguin with eyedrops for a few days and continue to quarantine it in a spare breeding room.
source
Friday, May 25, 2012
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Breaking News - AWOL penguin captured alive and well in Japan
A penguin swims in a river near the Tokyo Sea Life park aquarium (AFP/Tokyo Sea Life Park/File, Tokyo Sea Life Park)
The Humboldt, one of 135 penguins kept at Tokyo Sea Life Park, was recaptured after 82 days on a riverbank about eight kilometres (five miles) from its home, Japan's Kyodo news agency said.
Two of the park's keepers caught the penguin in Ichikawa, Chiba Prefecture, under a bridge over the Edo river after a tip-off call. The penguin had no health problems.
"We're relieved to see the penguin come back alive," said Kazuhiro Sakamoto, vice head of the aquarium, according to Kyodo.
More than 30 sightings of the 60-centimetre (two-foot) penguin had been reported to Tokyo Sea Life Park since it fled, park spokesman Takashi Sugino told AFP last week.
He explained the one-year-old bird had been spotted swimming in various locations around Tokyo Bay but was difficult to catch.
Even Japan's coastguard were caught flat-footed by the escapee.
On May 7, two boats with 10 officers on board followed the bird for about an hour before it disappeared from view.
The hunt for the bird -- known only as Penguin Number 337 -- began in early March after it was spotted bathing in a river that runs into Tokyo Bay.
Keepers believe the creature made its break for freedom after being startled into climbing over a rock twice its size.
source
More on the Madrid Zoo's Gay Penguins
May 23, 2012
Madrid Zoo’s ‘Gay’ Penguins Given Egg of Their Own
(Image credit: Publico.Es)
Inca and Rayas, the Gentoo penguins at Madrid’s Faunia Park have been inseparable for six years, according to the U.K.’s Telegraph. This year, the zoo gave them an egg to take care of.
“We wanted them to have something to stay together for — so we got an egg,” zookeeper Yolanda Martin told the Telegraph. “Otherwise they might have become depressed.”
Martin said the attention the birds have attracted has been “lovely,” though the penguins are not actually gay. They’re more like the best of friends, living cooperatively because they’re in the same enclosure.
“When you put things in captivity, odd things happen,” Kevin McGowan of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology in Ithaca, N.Y., told ABCNews.com. “The way penguins work is they do get paired for a long time. Basically, the only other penguin they care about is their mate, so it’s important for them to find somebody who’s compatible, and if you don’t have a normal upbringing then it’s difficult to say how ‘normal’ they can be.”
The duo has enthusiastically taken to the roles of prospective parents. Inca has taken on the “female” role, spending his days devotedly sitting on the egg, according to the paper. Rayas has taken the “male” role, guarding the next and storing food in his beak as he prepares to feed the chick with regurgitated fish.
“In birds, it doesn’t matter what sex you are. Both sexes are perfectly capable and absolutely necessary to raise a penguin bird,” McGowan said. “It’s not like mammals where only one sex can feed.”
Two other “gay” penguin couples have made headlines recently.
In China, a popular “gay” penguin couple was given a newly hatched chick to care for in December. But a couple in Toronto, Buddy and Pedro, were separated and placed with female partners. The zoo said they warmed up to their new mates.
The Toronto zoo provoked a public outcry in November when it announced that the male penguins would be separated and paired with female penguins for mating.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Marwell Wildlife's penguins take a dip as Dan Lobb opens their new home
22nd May 2012
Penguins take a dip as TV star opens their new home
TV star Dan Lobb was on hand to open the penguins' new home - but they were more concerned with taking a dip to escape the 24C heat.
The Daybreak presenter was at Marwell Wildlife to open the penguins' enclosure and unveil a special commemorative mosaic designed by local schoolchildren featuring several animals found at Marwell.
Dan, who grew up in Colden Common and was born just a few months before Marwell opened, said he had enjoyed visiting the park for years.
He said: “I was born about one-and-a-half miles away from Marwell and have got fond memories of coming here with my family. Being invited down to part of the 40th birthday celebrations and to open Penguin Cove was a real privilege and I do not think they realised how excited I was when the invitation was extended.”
Dan, who presents Daybreak on ITV, added: “What they have done with penguin Cove is indicative of what they have done over the years. It's always been at the forefront of conservation, animal welfare and creating the best possible experience for visitors.”
The new enclosure was funded by a £250,000 grant from the Stainer Charitable Trust which has been spent on improving water quality through better filtration and adding isolation and quarantine units so new arrivals can adjust to their habitat.
He said: “We now have a wonderful piece of outdoor art that is stunning and celebrates what the minds of local children think of Marwell. I think Marwell has an awful lot to offer and as long as we continue to offer great value to customers we can go on doing good work in the UK and overseas.”
source
'Gay' penguin couple given egg of their own
Every spring for six years Gentoo penguins Inca and Rayas have lovingly built
a nest together, only to find that no eggs arrive to fill it. It doesn't
seem to have dawned on the couple that both of them are male.
The couple will soon have their own chick Photo: REX
But after the repeated heartbreak of watching other penguins become parents
and raise their young, the "gay" couple finally have something to
celebrate after their keepers gave them an egg of their own to care for.
Rather than questioning how the improbable scenario arose, the inseparable
pair has seized their one chance at fatherhood with the zeal of a couple who
know they may not get another.
Inca has taken on the "female" role of incubating the donated egg,
obtained by keepers a month ago, and stoically remains atop his prize for
most of the day, refusing the temptation to dip his feathers into the water.
His partner Rayas, meanwhile, keeps a watchful guard over the nest while
eating whatever he can fit in his beak in preparation for the traditional
male job of feeding his young with regurgitated fish.
His keepers report that Rayas has become more anxious due to nervous
anticipation of his due date in June, but that the job seems to have made
him into a "new penguin", according to The Times.
Yolanda Martin, who cares for the pair, said: "We wanted them to have
something to stay together for – so we got an egg. Otherwise they might have
become depressed."
The couple drew attention after forming an inseparable bond from the day they met at Faunia Park in Madrid, but the new development has made them a media sensation, topping news bulletins and bringing a welcome ray of sunshine to Spain after weeks of miserable headlines about the country's economic turmoil.
Ms Martin said it was "lovely" to be able to cheer people up but emphasised that the penguins are not actually gay – they are just the best of friends.
The penguins' bundle of joy arrived a year after staff at a zoo in China gave a penguin couple named Adam and Steve a chick to look after last year.
But other "gay" relationships have not ended so happily: Buddy and Pedro, an all-male pairing at Toronto Zoo were put in separate enclosures by keepers who felt they were not making a sufficient contribution to the gene pool.
source
The couple drew attention after forming an inseparable bond from the day they met at Faunia Park in Madrid, but the new development has made them a media sensation, topping news bulletins and bringing a welcome ray of sunshine to Spain after weeks of miserable headlines about the country's economic turmoil.
Ms Martin said it was "lovely" to be able to cheer people up but emphasised that the penguins are not actually gay – they are just the best of friends.
The penguins' bundle of joy arrived a year after staff at a zoo in China gave a penguin couple named Adam and Steve a chick to look after last year.
But other "gay" relationships have not ended so happily: Buddy and Pedro, an all-male pairing at Toronto Zoo were put in separate enclosures by keepers who felt they were not making a sufficient contribution to the gene pool.
source
'Jubilee' Humboldt penguin chicks born at Leicestershire zoo
Humboldt penguins are listed as vulnerable in their native habitat, the Pacific coast of South America
Two
Humboldt penguin chicks have been named after the Queen and the Duke of
Edinburgh to mark the Diamond Jubilee at a Leicestershire zoo.
Anna Westbury, from Twycross Zoo, said the names, Elizabeth and Phillip, were suggested by a member of the public.The two chicks will be officially named on 4 June to celebrate the monarch's 60-year reign.
Ms Westbury added that a total of five, all from different pairs, have recently hatched and more could be expected.
"Unlike last year we have not had to intervene with the births at all, the parents have done a great job keeping the eggs warm and nursing the chicks through the critical first few days," she said.
"Some visitors have reported seeing another egg in one of the nests, but because we can't see fully into the nests we are unsure as to whether there might be more chicks to come.
"Some of the chicks are getting quite big now but the latest two born are still really tiny."
The Humboldt penguins, which breed on the coast of Peru and Chile, are listed as vulnerable in their native habitat by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
There are concerns that the species could become extinct within decades.
Total world population of the endangered penguins is around 12,000 breeding pairs.
source
Monday, May 21, 2012
In praise of … Penguin 337 - Tokyo
The bird's great break from Tokyo Sea Life Park triggered wildly hopeful sightings right across Japan
- The Guardian,
It's always splendid to see the small grab big attention, and – a
mere 60cm tall, too little even to be deemed a boy or girl – Penguin
337 has certainly done that. The bird's great break from Tokyo Sea Life
Park triggered wildly hopeful sightings right across Japan, some
hundreds of miles away. His (or is that her?) confirmed discovery swimming serenely
in nearby Tokyo bay was less dramatic, but established that this was
one unflappable bird. Scaling the park's 12-foot walls on flippers was
no mean feat, but then 337's Humboldt species is reliably game.
These little Latin Americans look like classically cute waddlers in the Pingu mould, but are hardy and versatile. They can nest in the dry of the Atacama desert, and are – as BBC footage confirms – perfectly capable of skiing on sand, and indeed on the backs of sea lions. But they are vulnerable to warming seas. Let 337's heartening dash for freedom serve as a reminder not to forget the soaring mercury.
source
These little Latin Americans look like classically cute waddlers in the Pingu mould, but are hardy and versatile. They can nest in the dry of the Atacama desert, and are – as BBC footage confirms – perfectly capable of skiing on sand, and indeed on the backs of sea lions. But they are vulnerable to warming seas. Let 337's heartening dash for freedom serve as a reminder not to forget the soaring mercury.
source
Penguins rescued from Brazil find new home
Mon, 21 May 2012
Four penguins that were found stranded last year
on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, have a new home as part of a
penguin exhibit in Long Beach, California.
They are believed to have ventured away from coastal Argentina and Chile in search of food.
Climate experts blame changes in the Earth's atmosphere for penguins getting lost while looking for food.
"Most
of the ones that were found there were all juveniles and probably what
ended up happening was they were following food source up that far north
- the food sources appeared and they were stranded and they didn't know
where to go," said Jeff Gacade, a mammalogist at the Aquarium of the
Pacific.
The US$1.5 million June Keyes exhibit
will house 13 Magellanic penguins, named after their natural habitat,
the Strait of Magellan.
Four of the new
residents were found starving on Brazilian beaches, while the rest came
from other exhibits across the United States.
3 News / Reuters
Jumping for joy over penguin picture
- From: news.com.au
- May 20, 2012
Penney Hayley, from Kununurra in Western Australia, took this photo during a cruise to Antarctica. Picture: Penney Hayley
Source: Supplied
- Photographer spent eight hours lying on ice to get shot
- Picture is one of ten finalists in next round of competition
- Escape photo competition finalists, week 13
IT took eight hours lying on the cold, hard ice in Antarctica to get
the perfect shot, but for Penney Hayley the long wait was worth it.
The Western Australian photographer snapped this picture of a
penguin shooting out of the ocean at Cape Denison in Commonwealth Bay
during a cruise with Orion Expeditions."I love the look on his face,'' she said.
"I don't know who got the biggest shock - him or me.
"I reckon if he could have pedalled backwards he would have.''
The image is one of the ten finalists in week 14 of the Escape Your Holiday photo competition.
Ms Hayley, 50, from Kununurra, took more than 10,000 photographs during the 19 day trip, but this was one of her favourites.
"It's a very restricted area and there's only 100 people allowed at any one time,'' she said.
"We had a window of opportunity where we had really, really good weather which is quite good for Antarctica.
"It was the most surreal experience.
source
"The penguins are often getting chased by leopard seals.''
While it looks like a predator in the background, Hayley said it was actually another penguin about to jump out.
"The penguins are often getting chased by leopard seals.''
While it looks like a predator in the background, Hayley said it was actually another penguin about to jump out.
Katrina is doing well at Torrens Island
By Cherie Howie
Sunday May 20, 2012
The intrepid Fiordland penguin who swam 3000km to Australia will have
to repeat the feat if she wants to get home, with the Department of
Conservation saying plans to fly her back are unnecessary.
The stroppy 2-year-old penguin named Katrina washed up on a beach near Mount Gambier, South Australia, two weeks ago.
Bird rescue worker Aaron Machado, who is rehabilitating Katrina, was fighting suggestions she be put in a zoo for good and had wanted to fly her home.
But Michelle Gutsell, leader of the Department of Conservation Te Anau office species recovery team, said Katrina had a good chance of making it back to New Zealand under her own steam.
"She will have that homing instinct. These birds spend a lot of time in the water, they are sea-goers, that's what they do. She will be fine."
While Machado had offered to pay for Katrina's flight, Gutsell said she would rather see the money put towards other wildlife projects in Australia.
Since the Herald on Sunday broke the news of Katrina's Tasman crossing last week, the penguin has had surgery on a large gash to her abdomen, and put on a kilogram so she tips the scales at 2.7kg. She had enjoyed her first swim since the crossing, Machado said.
She had also maintained her stroppy attitude, he said.
"She's a grumpy little girl."
It would be at least a month, but likely longer, before she was ready for release, though he still preferred the idea of a flight home.
source
Bird rescue worker Aaron Machado, who is rehabilitating Katrina, was fighting suggestions she be put in a zoo for good and had wanted to fly her home.
But Michelle Gutsell, leader of the Department of Conservation Te Anau office species recovery team, said Katrina had a good chance of making it back to New Zealand under her own steam.
"She will have that homing instinct. These birds spend a lot of time in the water, they are sea-goers, that's what they do. She will be fine."
While Machado had offered to pay for Katrina's flight, Gutsell said she would rather see the money put towards other wildlife projects in Australia.
Since the Herald on Sunday broke the news of Katrina's Tasman crossing last week, the penguin has had surgery on a large gash to her abdomen, and put on a kilogram so she tips the scales at 2.7kg. She had enjoyed her first swim since the crossing, Machado said.
She had also maintained her stroppy attitude, he said.
"She's a grumpy little girl."
It would be at least a month, but likely longer, before she was ready for release, though he still preferred the idea of a flight home.
source
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Vancouver Aquarium now home to endangered African penguins
A group of endangered African penguins has moved into the Vancouver Aquarium.
The Penguin Point exhibit officially opens tomorrow. Contrary to popular belief, not all penguins live in the Antarctic. The Vancouver exhibit is inspired by their natural environment in South Africa.
There are 17 species of penguins in the world. The population of African penguins has declined by 90 per cent over the past century due to overfishing and climate change.
The penguins depend on healthy fish stocks in order to survive. The aquarium encourages people to eat sustainable seafood to help preserve these endangered sea species.
The public is encouraged to help name the penguins after B.C. towns, cities and neighbourhoods. You can submit your ideas at vanaqua.org/penguincontest
Video available at source
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More on the Story of the Escaped Penguin in Tokyo
Japan Penguin 337, Escaped Tokyo Aquarium Penguin, Alive In Tokyo Bay (PHOTOS)
Reuters
|
By Ruairidh Villar
Posted: 05/16/2012
By Ruairidh Villar
TOKYO (Reuters) - After Penguin Number 337 made a daring bid for freedom from a Tokyo aquarium and vanished into the waters of Tokyo Bay two months ago, many feared the worst for the adventurous feathered fugitive.
But the one-year-old Humboldt penguin has now popped up on video footage in a different part of the bay, frolicking in the water and apparently healthy.
The penguin, still too young to determine whether it is male or female and thus known only by a number, scaled a rock wall four meters (13 ft) high and squeezed through a barbed wire fence to escape its harborside aquarium in March.
"You can see it's got the same ring around its flipper and identical facial patterns," said Kazuhiro Sakamoto, deputy director of the Tokyo Sea Life Park, when shown footage of the tubby escapee taken by Japan's Coast Guard.
"It didn't look like it has gotten thinner over the past two months, or been without food. It doesn't seem to be any weaker. So it looks as if it's been living quite happily in the middle of Tokyo Bay."
Penguin 337 was filmed earlier this month near Tokyo's Rainbow Bridge.
In the days following the penguin's escape, the aquarium launched a city-wide appeal for tips on its whereabouts and sent keepers on daily penguin-hunts throughout the bay area.
They received hundreds of sighting reports, some from as far away as western Japan, but Sakamoto said most had probably mistaken cormorants for the flightless penguin. Only about 30 of the reports were thought genuine.
Tokyo Bay is a crowded and busy body of water bordering the densely-populated city, and the area around the aquarium consists of high-rise apartment buildings and concrete.
Many people had worried that the water was too dirty for the bird to stay healthy. More recently, reports of rising radiation levels in the bay have prompted concern.
"They say there's radiation in there, so I've got my fingers crossed that it can live in Tokyo Bay safely," said local resident Tateki Futagami.
The bird is probably gorging on small fish in the bay during daylight hours and returning to the shore at night to rest somewhere along the bay, keepers said.
The penguin, hatched in 2011, had shared life in a rocky outdoor enclosure at the aquarium with 135 other Humboldts and a number of other penguins prior to its escape. Sakamoto attributed its flight to a sense of adventure.
source
Photos: Rescued penguins star in new exhibit
Four
penguins that were plucked, stranded and emaciated, from the Brazilian
coast more than a year ago begin a new life as high-profile celebrities
Thursday.
A
Magellanic penguin swims through a glass enclosure at the Aquarium of
the Pacific in Long Beach Wednesday. Four of the 13 penguins now at the
Aquarium were rescued after becoming stranded along the Brazilian coast.
PHOTO BY MARK RIGHTMIRE, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, TEXT BY PAT BRENNAN
The four Magellanic penguins join nine others at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, swimming, diving and waddling through a new exhibit meant to replicate their southern hemisphere habitat. The public gets its first look when the doors open at 9 a.m.
They swam toward onlookers and peered into camera lenses, and clambered out of the water and among the legs of photographers, stretching their necks to grab at camera straps.
"They tend to get really excited," said Michele Sousa, a senior biologist at the Aquarium, as she helped shepherd the penguins Wednesday. "They really like people at the window."
The rescued birds, now plump on fish, are named Avery, Roxy, Robbie and Kate; they and the other penguins, acquired from other zoos or aquariums, wear name bands on their upper wings.
Aquarium officials hope their new exhibit will not only make a splash with the public, but call attention to troubled and declining penguin populations around the world.
They say 75 percent of the world's penguins are threatened or endangered, and that scientific data points to overfishing, perhaps abetted by climate change, as the main cause of penguin decline.
The four rescued birds, in fact, might have been searching for food, winding up on the Brazilian coast far to the north of their normal range near the southern tip of South America.
Rescuers caught them near Niteroi, not far from Rio de Janeiro.
The birds began to thrive soon after arriving at the Aquarium in April 2011, said assistant curator Rob Mortensen.
That included reproduction. Six of the penguins are being kept "behind the scenes," where they are tending eggs or chicks.
Their new exhibit space has a glass enclosure for swimming. At one end is a crawlspace -- meant for children, but big enough for adults -- where visitors can view the penguins as they swim above as well as around them.
Beyond the water is a replica of a rocky beach, complete with simulated burrows that the penguins use for sleeping quarters.
Beginning June 2, visitors can get even closer to the penguins. They can schedule a time to go behind the scenes, feed the birds and interact with them.
The Aquarium charges $24.95 for adult admission, $13.95 for children; the behind-the-scenes, "Penguin Animal Encounter" will cost $90 per person.
source
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