January 2008

31 January 2008
Penguin couple go on 'snow date'
(China)
Two emperor penguins from Nanjing Underwater World were given 20 minutes of freedom outdoors in the snow to 'give them some time alone' and encourage them to mate.
Read china.org.cn article

30 January 2008
Penguin killed by predator
(Australia)
A male king penguin, who would have made a 4000 km journey from the sub-Antarctic islands, has been found dead in Galverton, Western Australia. It is believed he was killed by a fox or dog.
Read thewest.com.au article

26 January 2008
Penguin lover feels birds are not being protected enough
(New Zealand)
Hundreds of visitors watch the nocturnal blue penguins come home every night from a purpose-built grandstand at the Oamaru Blue Penguin Centre, aimed at balancing the demands of eco-tourism. Although visitors are warned to watch out for penguins, one local resident is concerned the birds are not being properly protected as visitors leave the centre at night.
Read TV3 article and watch video

25 January 2008
Behind the scenes: A season at the Penguin Ranch in Antarctica
(Antarctica)
Paul Ponganis of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography has devoted years of extensive research to the investigation of emperor penguin diving physiology and behaviour. He shares fascinating extracts from his recent research diary written at 'Penguin Ranch' in Antarctica.
Read LiveScience article

17 January 2008
A day in the life of Antarctica's penguin poo sleuths
(Antarctica)
Not your average day's work: Every day for the next two weeks, three scientists will venture out of a remote field hut in Antarctica to scrape Adelie penguin poo from the snow and rocks, photograph it, catalogue it, and deposit it in tubes to be shipped back to a laboratory in Hobart, Australia. As part of an Australian Antarctic Division project, the DNA within the samples will be used to gain new insight into the Adelie penguins' diet, foraging habits and breeding patterns.
Read The Age article

15 January 2008
Aquarium one of only two institutions in US to breed gentoo penguins in 2007
(USA)
The hatching of two gentoo penguin chicks at the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky, one on 3 December and one on 24 December, makes it one of only three accredited institutions in North America to successfully breed gentoos in 2007.
Read Newport Aquarium press release

11 January 2008
Stewart Island penguins fighting to survive
(New Zealand)
Just six of 25 yellow-eyed penguin chicks hatched in monitored areas of Stewart Island have survived so far this summer, the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust has said. The island’s penguin population faces an uncertain future after a devastating breeding season last summer in which all 33 chicks being monitored died. Breeding rates have been plummeting since monitoring began four years ago.
Read The Southland Times article at Stuff.co.nz

12 January 2008
Rangers angered by killings
(Australia)
Seven little penguins have been killed in a dog attack at one of Tasmania’s premier penguin-viewing sites. A Parks and Wildlife Service ranger and two volunteer rangers were shocked to find the mauled birds, whose bodies were visible from the viewing platform.
Read Mercury article at news.com.au

9 January 2008
Penguin guard dogs win island reprieve
(Australia)
A world-first trial of guard dogs protecting little penguins on Warrnambool’s Middle Island will continue despite the dogs accidentally killing 10 birds. Council and wildlife authorities believe trespassers who had fed the Maremma dogs and played with them had modified their normally distant behaviour.
Read The Warrnambool Standard article
Related articles:
• Penguin deaths put guard dog trials at risk (The Age, 6 Jan 2008)
• More bark, less bite bid to help penguin project (The Warrnambool Standard, 4 Jan 2008)

5 January 2008
Bullied, mateless – life's tough when you're a beige penguin
(Antarctica)
A freak penguin that is bullied because of its unusual appearance has been found in Antarctica. The Adélie penguin lacks pigmentation and is missing its trademark black “dinner jacket”, which is instead a dirty beige. It is not a full albino because it has some colouring, and is instead called a “leucistic” penguin.
Read The Dominion Post article at theage.com
Related article:
Beige lovers adopt shunned pale penguin (The Dominion Post at stuff.co.nz, 9 Jan 2008)

3 January 2008
Gentoo rings in new year at Moody Gardens
(USA)
The first baby of the New Year is one thing, but the caretakers at Galveston’s Moody Gardens are bragging about the first gentoo of 2008.
Read KHOU.com article (includes video)

2 January 2008
Smallest penguins parade in good years
(Australia)
Humans parade to mark special occasions, and now a study co-authored by Andre Chiaradia of Phillip Island Nature Park has shown that little penguins parade during “good years", meaning years when food is plentiful, breeding rates are up and sea temperatures are stable. The study is the first to demonstrate that penguins can seek to form groups with the same individuals when they come and go.
Read Discovery News article

Penguins could face extinction
(South Africa)
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) is appealing to members of the public to adopt an African penguin in an attempt to preserve the species.
Read SABC News article

	Web penguin.net.nz