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  HUMBOLDT PENGUIN
REPRODUCTION /
DIET
Coastal Islands Peru and Chile Found only in Southern Hemisphere |
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| PENGUIN EXHIBIT There are seventeen different species of penguin in the world, and this exhibit completed in 1997 is home to a colony of Humboldt penguins - one of the most endangered of the penguin species. The Humboldt penguins' natural environments are the warm coastal regions of Peru down to South Chile in South America. Contrary to popular belief only three species of penguin nest on the Antarctic ice. In the wild they spend long periods at sea in the feeding areas. The seas are cold and very rich in marine life on which they feed; anchovies, squid and crustaceans. All penguins are flightless, and their wings have evolved into flippers which they use to propel themselves through the water at speeds of up to twenty five miles per hour using their feet as |
THE PENGUINS' FUTURE Ironically, some of the factors that have so endeared penguins to people have placed their survival in jeopardy. Since most healthy adult penguins fear few land predators they have little natural fear of people.  Curious birds may waddle right up to a visitor, behaviour that has turned penguins into a favourite subject for bird-watchers and wildlife photographers. However, this behaviour has also made penguins on easy target for human hunters and egg |
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rudders. The exhibit has underwater viewing windows where it is possible to see them 'flying' under the water, waddling about on the land and torpedoing along the seventy-foot length of the pool. In addition, nest boxes are in full view, allowing a unique insight into the penguins' behaviour. | gatherers. Today, the threat
to penguins from hunting and egg collecting has mostly ended. Instead, the
main threat to the birds is now the destruction of their nesting habitats.
Humboldt Penguin guano (droppings) has great commercial value as a nitrogen-rich
fertiliser. Guano harvesting is better managed today, but overexploitation
of this commodity is a serious threat to Humboldt Penguins. |
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CHARACTERISTICS
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 Other factors are competition from fishermen for the fish they eat, and by introduced predators such as rats, dogs and foxes that eat penguin eggs and young. The most threatened species are those concentrated near human populations in temperate zones, such as the Little Blue, Yellow-eyed, African and Humboldt Penguins. A recently identified threat, that of global warming, is one that may affect all penguins, even those living thousands of miles from the nearest city.  |
Research has
identified that the greatest changes in the penguin populations throughout
the world can be directly linked to climatic change. However, penguin experts are hoping that the public's fondness of these waddling torpedoes will translate into strengthened protection efforts. The more the public learns about the remarkable world of the penguin, the more likely they are to understand that these fascinating creatures are not just here to provide comic relief.  |
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