The Humboldt penguin populations along Chile’s central coast have seen a significant decline, making them one of the most at-risk species out of the world’s 18 penguin species and facing the threat of extinction, according to experts.
A recent survey conducted by scientists on two islands off the central Chilean coast revealed a drastic decrease in breeding pairs or active nests, from 842 last year to just one this year.
Veterinarian Paulina Arce, who specializes in penguins, noted that populations have either decreased or remained stable on all the islands that were studied.
“This could lead to something even more serious – the extinction of the species,” Arce cautioned.
The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) is found on the Pacific coast of Chile and Peru and is named after the Humboldt Current that it inhabits. These flightless birds can weigh up to 5 kg (11 lbs) and grow up to 70 cm (2 ft 3 in) in length as adults.
Diego Penaloza, president of the Safari Conservation Foundation, identified marine pollution, lack of pet supervision, and disturbance of nesting sites as the main threats to penguins in the wild.
Moreover, avian influenza exacerbated by the El Niño weather pattern has led to devastating consequences for penguins and other wildlife, causing breeding rates for Humboldt penguins to plummet almost to zero, as outlined by Javier Mesa, biodiversity conservation manager for CONAF, the national forestry agency.
“Because of the avian flu and the El Niño weather phenomenon, all the food was swept southwards, resulting in a near-zero breeding rate for penguins in northern Chile and the deaths of many more penguins,” Mesa explained. “It was a perfect storm.”
Source: www.nbcnews.com
