African Penguin: The Vanishing Act
Penguins are interesting birds.
Even though they can't fly, they amaze us as they bullet through water at rocket speed, faster than any human swimmer.
They have diets of fish, and can do everything other birds do except fly.
Penguins live in many different places.
We often see movies of penguins that live in Antarctica, and usually think that penguins only live in the Antarctic.
When we see movies of the African deserts, we sometimes think that a penguin may not be able to live in Africa.
But we are wrong.
There are actually penguins that live in Africa, near the Kalahari and Namib Deserts.
However, our incorrect thoughts that there are no penguins in Africa might be correct soon.
The African Penguin is highly endangered.
The population drops constantly, for many reasons.
Here are ways the African Penguin is threatened, and how we can save this bird in need.
The population of African Penguins was "more than one million individuals in the beginning of the previous century (1)".
"By 1956, the population was half of that amount.
The population dropped to half of that amount in the 1970's.
By that time, there was about 220,000 individuals.
By the 1980's that number was 194,000.
By the 1990's the population was about 179,000.
The population was studied to drop 2% each year (2)".
"By 2010, the population was counted to be about 55,000 individuals worldwide, and is expected to go extinct in 15 years if the population drop is not stopped (3)".
How do humans pose threats to the African Penguin? Threats include pollution and fishing.
This may be a small amount of problems, but they happen on a large basis, and seriously affect the penguin population.
One time, an oil tanker had a spill off the coast of South Africa, and hundreds of penguins were affected by the oil spill.
This became "the largest animal rescue event in history, because more than 91% of the penguins were released back into the wild (3)".
This definitely helped the population, because if it had not happened, the bird may be extinct by now.
The penguin also faces natural threats, from animals such as "seals, sharks, whales, mongooses, and sea gulls (3)".
The documentary Penguins Under Siege: The True Story of South Africa's Blackfoot Penguins talks about two African Penguins trying to survive natural predators.
Its trailer mentioned that "seals are relentless hunters (4)" and will almost never stop when it comes to a penguin chase.
It also said gulls always wait for a penguin to leave its nest so it can "steal its eggs (3)".
Unfortunately, the penguin's flightlessness is a vulnerability.
If it could fly, it could have a better escape or, sometimes, be able to fight back.
But there is not much we can do about that.
This decrease in penguins also occurs on a large basis.
What can we do? We can limit the amount of fish we eat.
The high needs for fish worldwide take fish from the penguins, leading to their deaths.
Humans are omnivores, and can eat multiple foods.
The penguins can only eat fish.
So what good is it to take fish that we don't need, depriving these innocent penguins of their only food? We can also improve our ways of receiving offshore oil, to prevent oil spills.
We can improve the turning capacity of oil tankers, so they can make sharp turns when they are near rocks.
But not too much, so the ship will not go out of control with too much turning capacity.
We also can make the exoskeleton of the oil tanker thicker, so that when it hits a rock, it will not break open and release oil, but with a lightweight material so that the ship is still able to float.
Captive breeding is continuing, which will be helpful to the remaining population.
Cloning the penguins can also help.
The creation of more impenetrable land, with both land and water and where fish can easily enter and exit, where the penguins can live and strict policing of these lands can protect the penguin population.
There is not much we can do to save the penguin from natural predators, but if the population is protected enough by humans, the penguin population will be enough despite natural predators.
The African Penguin needs us.
A penguin that lives in Africa is a true example of the power of biodiversity.
From the bird that flies and lives in the woods, all the way to the bird that cannot fly and lives in Africa, unlike some penguins its kind.
Therefore, the African Penguin provides that extra key to learning biodiversity, and if it goes extinct, the uniqity it once had will be ignored forever.
The African Penguin never harmed us, so why do we harm it? All it wants to do is live among us.
For the survivors of the population, let's give a chance.
(1)= Video: Urgent Effort to Save South African Penquins (Youtube) (2)= penguins.
cl/african-penguins.
htm (3)= Wikipedia (Article: African Penguin) (4)= Video: Penguins Under Siege DVD Trailer (Youtube)
Even though they can't fly, they amaze us as they bullet through water at rocket speed, faster than any human swimmer.
They have diets of fish, and can do everything other birds do except fly.
Penguins live in many different places.
We often see movies of penguins that live in Antarctica, and usually think that penguins only live in the Antarctic.
When we see movies of the African deserts, we sometimes think that a penguin may not be able to live in Africa.
But we are wrong.
There are actually penguins that live in Africa, near the Kalahari and Namib Deserts.
However, our incorrect thoughts that there are no penguins in Africa might be correct soon.
The African Penguin is highly endangered.
The population drops constantly, for many reasons.
Here are ways the African Penguin is threatened, and how we can save this bird in need.
The population of African Penguins was "more than one million individuals in the beginning of the previous century (1)".
"By 1956, the population was half of that amount.
The population dropped to half of that amount in the 1970's.
By that time, there was about 220,000 individuals.
By the 1980's that number was 194,000.
By the 1990's the population was about 179,000.
The population was studied to drop 2% each year (2)".
"By 2010, the population was counted to be about 55,000 individuals worldwide, and is expected to go extinct in 15 years if the population drop is not stopped (3)".
How do humans pose threats to the African Penguin? Threats include pollution and fishing.
This may be a small amount of problems, but they happen on a large basis, and seriously affect the penguin population.
One time, an oil tanker had a spill off the coast of South Africa, and hundreds of penguins were affected by the oil spill.
This became "the largest animal rescue event in history, because more than 91% of the penguins were released back into the wild (3)".
This definitely helped the population, because if it had not happened, the bird may be extinct by now.
The penguin also faces natural threats, from animals such as "seals, sharks, whales, mongooses, and sea gulls (3)".
The documentary Penguins Under Siege: The True Story of South Africa's Blackfoot Penguins talks about two African Penguins trying to survive natural predators.
Its trailer mentioned that "seals are relentless hunters (4)" and will almost never stop when it comes to a penguin chase.
It also said gulls always wait for a penguin to leave its nest so it can "steal its eggs (3)".
Unfortunately, the penguin's flightlessness is a vulnerability.
If it could fly, it could have a better escape or, sometimes, be able to fight back.
But there is not much we can do about that.
This decrease in penguins also occurs on a large basis.
What can we do? We can limit the amount of fish we eat.
The high needs for fish worldwide take fish from the penguins, leading to their deaths.
Humans are omnivores, and can eat multiple foods.
The penguins can only eat fish.
So what good is it to take fish that we don't need, depriving these innocent penguins of their only food? We can also improve our ways of receiving offshore oil, to prevent oil spills.
We can improve the turning capacity of oil tankers, so they can make sharp turns when they are near rocks.
But not too much, so the ship will not go out of control with too much turning capacity.
We also can make the exoskeleton of the oil tanker thicker, so that when it hits a rock, it will not break open and release oil, but with a lightweight material so that the ship is still able to float.
Captive breeding is continuing, which will be helpful to the remaining population.
Cloning the penguins can also help.
The creation of more impenetrable land, with both land and water and where fish can easily enter and exit, where the penguins can live and strict policing of these lands can protect the penguin population.
There is not much we can do to save the penguin from natural predators, but if the population is protected enough by humans, the penguin population will be enough despite natural predators.
The African Penguin needs us.
A penguin that lives in Africa is a true example of the power of biodiversity.
From the bird that flies and lives in the woods, all the way to the bird that cannot fly and lives in Africa, unlike some penguins its kind.
Therefore, the African Penguin provides that extra key to learning biodiversity, and if it goes extinct, the uniqity it once had will be ignored forever.
The African Penguin never harmed us, so why do we harm it? All it wants to do is live among us.
For the survivors of the population, let's give a chance.
(1)= Video: Urgent Effort to Save South African Penquins (Youtube) (2)= penguins.
cl/african-penguins.
htm (3)= Wikipedia (Article: African Penguin) (4)= Video: Penguins Under Siege DVD Trailer (Youtube)
Source...