Fears for penguins being pinched from Granite Island

• Sarah Mennie
• From: Sunday Mail (SA)
• March 20, 2011

Dorothy Longden wants action to protect penguins on Granite Island. Source: Sunday Mail (SA)

 

VANDALS are regularly climbing security fences at Granite Island, in South Australia to steal penguins from the already dwindling population. 

The number of penguins on the island has dropped from more than 1500 birds 10 years ago to just 146 birds counted in last August's census.
Granite Island Penguin Centre co-ordinator Dorothy Longden wants the causeway to the island closed off at night to stop vandals from stealing penguins and ruining their habitat.
"We've had six penguins stolen, it's dreadful," Mrs Longden said.
"We have to be serious about the penguins we have left. If we close the causeway off we might stand a chance.
"We started a petition in January and have more than 1000 signatures, we want about 2000 altogether."
Mrs Longden, who has worked at the penguin centre for the past seven years, said she thought thieves either set the birds free elsewhere - where they would not survive - or tried to keep them as pets.

She said vandalism had always been a problem but the issue was now worse than ever.
"People climb over the six-foot high concrete fence and steal the penguins," she said. "Two that were stolen, someone actually destroyed their burrows to find them and then took them.
"We care for them here, these are the sick and injured, they've all got names so we know when we come in in the morning if any have been taken."
 Mrs Longden discovered another penguin dead in the pond at the centre. "We found a rock next to him and wonder if someone threw it at him."
She said all of the problems, including bottles being thrown into the penguins' burrows, happened at night.
"It doesn't matter how many security cameras we put up, it doesn't seem to help because the people wear hoods and we can't identify them," she said.
Environment Department Kangaroo Island regional manager Bill Haddrill confirmed humans were part of the reason penguin numbers had dropped.
"Human disturbances in the form of habitat loss and habitat modification play a significant role in determining sustainability of little penguin colonies, as do human visitation impacts," Mr Haddrill said.
However he said dogs, cats, rats and New Zealand fur seals also caused significant problems.

Source