Landau, 6. June 2024

C H I L E

+++Symbolic Bird of the Humboldt Current+++
Just in time for World Penguin Day on April 25th, Sphenisco-Chile and RedAves, together with ACOREMA and GAP in Peru, started the signature campaign "Humboldt Penguin - Symbolic Bird of the Humboldt Current". The aim of the initiative is to motivate citizens, civil society groups and authorities to publicly advocate for the protection of the Humboldt penguin and to become active. 

Coquimbo, Chile; Pisco, Peru; Landau, Germany April 25, 2024.

Good News for Sphenisco on the World Penguin Day.

In Chile, the newspaper El Norte reports that the Humboldt Penguin has been declared the “symbolic bird of the Humboldt Current”. In Fort Lambert (Coquimbo) representatives of authorities and organizations from science and civil society met to proclaim the endangered Humboldt Penguin the “symbol bird of the important marine ecosystem of the Humboldt Current”. 

Burnie, Nuremberg, 10 February 2024

In January of this year, we were working as volunteers for the Penguin Rehab & Release (https://www.penguinrehab.org/) Sanctuary in Burnie, Tasmania.

Penguin Rehab and Release is the only facility in North West Tasmania dedicated to the rehabilitation of penguins (and other seabirds) who come into their care due to illness, injury or exhaustion, with the aim of preparing them for a successful release.

This year has been an above-average busy season for Penguin Rehab and Release, in which 33 penguins have already been successfully cared for, overseen and released back into their natural habitat. Currently, 16 penguins are still being cared for at the facility in order to regain their health and the strength for their release. Caring for such a large number of penguins is not only time-consuming, but also costly, and the organization's resources are currently almost exhausted.

The following article is therefore not only intended to report on our experiences in the care and reintroduction of sick, injured or exhausted penguins, but is also connected with the request for donations for this organization and its highly commendable work. Donations can be made by PayPal via the following link: Donate (PayPal)

Landau, 4th February 2024

C H I L E

+++Loser of the year 2023+++
Humboldt penguins in Chile and Peru have been suffering from bird flu and El Niño for months. According to the WWF, they are therefore among the losers of 2023. Sernapesca (Chilean fishing authority) reported the discovery of 3,000 dead animals in November. This corresponds to around one third of the population. In view of this horror story, it is comforting that Humboldt penguins have the ability to reproduce more strongly after such disasters. In Peru they breed all year round, in Chile not just twice as usual, but three times. It is currently unclear what the current losses mean for the survival of this penguin species.