Latest attack prompts penguin plan

Latest attack prompts penguin plan
14/05/2009 3:39:00 PM

The second major attack on the Kingscote penguin colony in six months has prompted authorities to look at an ongoing education program for island students.

Two weeks ago a group of boys aged 10 to 12 jumped barriers at the colony on the Saturday night and lifted the lids off nests, snatched eggs and smashed all but one of the current batch.

Colony worker Toni Soutar said the boys had wasted two-and-a-half months of nesting for the penguins. Chicks had been expected this month.

“We want something positive to come from this. We are working with the school and parks staff to develop an education program and perhaps a program whereby a class at the school adopts the colony for a period of time and they get to do some work there, learn more about the penguins and feel a sense of ownership,” Ms Soutar said.

She said the attacks were devastating for her personally because she knew the birds individually.

This recent attack followed a more brutal assault in November last year when an older group of local youths bludgeoned several birds to death and destroyed nesting boxes, leaving a heart-breaking trail of destruction.

Many nesting pairs still had not returned to the site and only two chicks in the area survived that attack. No charges had been laid yet.

Ms Soutar said the Kingscote colony had become even more important to the State because of the decimation of populations at Penneshaw and Granite Island by fur seals.

Meanwhile, the boys involved in the most recent attack are involved in a program to repair and install burrows and to learn about the penguins and their habitat and lifecycle.

“If we can get this education program going it will have created something positive out of this negative episode. It will be good for all the kids involved and create some peer pressure about looking after the colony,” Ms Soutar said.

Source:
Shauna Black @
http://kangarooisland.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/latest-attack-prompts-penguin-plan/1513443.aspx