Sunday, June 29, 2008

Kings and Sheep

"Kings and Sheep" by Snow_girl (Used with permission)

"Snow girl" is actually Frances Williams. She has an excellent blog, about living in Antarctica, Halley Bay 75° 35'S 26° 40'W, 76 Degrees South

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Video: Penguin Parade (Edinburgh Zoo)

Daily penguin parade at Edinburgh zoo featuring Gentoo and king penguins.



Watch video

Friday, June 27, 2008

Ensuring the survival of rockhopper penguins

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) has taken the first step in a dedicated conservation program that will help to ensure the survival of rockhopper penguin populations.

In the past six decades, the number of rockhopper penguins has plummeted by up to 80 per cent – but the reason for the decline is a mystery.

RZSS has provided £20,000 for a boat so conservation workers can move easily between nest sites on Tristan da Cunha and surrounding islands. This will allow them to carry out a survey on the existing population, monitor fluctuations and investigate possible reasons for the decline.

Source: Scotsman
Photo: Edinburgh Zoo

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Monday, June 23, 2008

Ready to go home

This little penguin nearly died from exhaustion a week ago. She was found washed up on Miners Beach lying flat out on her back.

“She was most likely beaten up by rough seas and storms,” a For Australian Wildlife Needing Aid (FAWNA) volunteer, June Le Pla, said.

Ms. Le Pla nursed the penguin back to health for a week on a diet of pilchards, whitebait and squid.

She said the penguin, whom she named Penelope, was most likely about a year old and could expect to have an average lifespan of about six years in the wild.

On Friday, Penelope was set back into her native habitat at Shelly Beach.

Source: Port Macquarie News

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Wired penguins

The Phillip Island Nature Park is using satellite tracking devices to monitor its penguin colony as two major infrastructure projects impinge on the birds' territory.

The dredging of Port Phillip Bay has been conducted in one of the penguins' feeding areas, while the full effects of the proposed desalination plant near Wonthaggi, closer to their island home, are unclear.

This week, seven birds have had the satellite devices — which look like small black bugs — attached to their backs with waterproof tape.
Source: The Age

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Unexpected visitor for zoo penguins

A dozen penguins at a sea life center are being given special care after a youth vaulted the perimeter fence and chased the birds in the dead of night.

Keepers at Scarborough's Sea Life Centre were alerted to the intruder when his movements were picked up by CCTV cameras focused on the penguins.

He was seen chasing the birds around their pen for 15 minutes.

Centre manager Hayley Townsend said the penguins suffered badly from stress and described the attack as "heartless".

Ms Townsend said specialist keepers were watching the birds closely to see if they needed medication to alleviate stress after the ordeal.

Source: BBC

Friday, June 20, 2008

Pennies for Penguins

Lehigh Valley Zoo wants to add a flock of African penguins to its collection.

On Saturday, the Schnecksville, PA, zoo will host a ''March for Penguins'' walk-athon to raise money for the new exhibit.

The zoo plans to participate in the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums' African penguin species survival plan. The birds are considered ecologically vulnerable.

The walk-athon will begin at 10 a.m. Zoo staff educators will present a conservation program and activities at 11 a.m.

Zoo hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cost is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 2 to 12. Info: 610-799-4171 ext. 224 or go to www.lvzoo.org

The Lehigh Valley Zoo is located in Schnecksville, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Formerly known as part of the Trexler Game Preserve, the zoo is home to otters, kangaroos, otters and more.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

San Francisco penguins have a new home

After four years of living in a temporary exhibit South of Market, twenty African penguins are settling in to spacious new digs at the California Academy of Science's newly built museum in Golden Gate Park.

The San Francisco museum will open to the public Sept. 27, but the penguins held their debut for the media Wednesday happily mugging for cameras and flirting with reporters.

"I really think we went and did everything right for this group of birds," said aquatic biologist Pamela Schaller, who has cared for the penguins for eight years. "I can't believe how comfortable they are already."

Comfortable, indeed. Not only were the birds nesting, frolicking, diving and happily accepting fish from Schaller's bucket Wednesday, they are also getting busy, ahem, copulating.

The birds' new home, which includes a 25,000-gallon tank with a surge system to simulate wave action, can be seen through a 26-by-16-foot acrylic window.

Source: Mercury News

Friday, June 13, 2008

Robotic penguin unveiled in South Korea

South Korean researchers, showcasing their latest line in robotic pets, have unveiled a penguin which can interact with humans.

Pomi (Penguin Robot for Multimodal Interaction) can see, hear, touch and emit smells as well as making faces, Friday's Korea Times reported.

The robot can move its lips, eyebrows and even pupils freely to make faces and can emit two kinds of fragrances to match its emotions.

Fragrances? - I hope it's not a penguin fragrance!
As cute and charming as they are, I don't think penguins really smell that great!

Thursday, June 12, 2008

It's all happening at the zoo

The Central Park Zoo has become the No. 1 hot spot for gay birds. Ten years ago, Roy and Silo made history as the zoo's first same-sex penguin couple by cohabitating and refusing female companionship. Their historic coming-out opened the floodgates. (In 2005 Silo walked out of his 6-year relationship with Roy for a girlfriend from California called Scrappy. The new heterosexual couple built a nest and hang out by the pool.)

In Faye Flam's new book, "The Score: How The Quest For Sex Has Shaped The Modern Man" curator John Rowden reveals, "We currently have a number of [penguin] same-sex pairs." And they aren't the only gay birds in the park - Flam writes there are plenty of homosexual geese and ducks also hooking up.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Golf with penguins

Tim Clark of South Africa pulls his penguin head cover off a club during the first round of the Stanford St. Jude Championship golf tournament in Memphis, Tenn., Thursday, June 5, 2008. Clark finished the day at 2-over par 72.
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Washing and saving penguins

At least one hundred penguins and other sea birds, found along Uruguay's beaches, were affected by the oil spill after two merchant ships collided off the coast of Uruguay. The Greek merchant ship Syros suffered a fuel leak after colliding with the Maltese vessel Sea Bird on June 4.

Over 60 dead oil-covered Magellanic penguins washed up on Uruguay's coast Sunday that environmentalists believe is linked to an oil spill, following a collision between two ships near Montevideo's port a few days ago.

Meanwhile, 34 live oil-covered penguins appeared on the beaches of this South American nation's southern coast, Richard Tesore of the SOS-Marine Life Rescue environmental group said.

Scientists fear the penguin death toll is likely to rise in the coming days.

An oil-covered penguin is seen in the backyard of the S.O.S Rescate Fauna Marina (S.O.S Ocean Fauna Rescue), a non-governmental organization devoted to the rescue of ocean fauna, in Piriapolis, about 100 km (62 miles) east of Montevideo.

An oil-covered penguin is carried by Richard Tesore, manager of S.O.S Rescate Fauna Marina.

An oil-covered penguin is washed with fresh water and soap to remove the oil.

An oil-covered penguin is washed with fresh water and soap to remove the oil.

An oil-covered penguin is seen in the backyard of the S.O.S Rescate Fauna Marina.

An oil-covered penguin is washed with fresh water and soap to remove the oil.

A penguin affected by oil spill is fed and being taken care of by non-government organization S.O.S Rescate de Fauna Marina devoted to the rescue of ocean fauna.

Photos: Reuters

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Let's have a snack


More at secondose
(via haha.nu)

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Video: Hang Gliding Penguin

So THAT's what it's like to fly!



Watch video

Friday, June 6, 2008

Penguin stops traffic

A little blue penguin was literally stopping traffic in Porirua, NZ, this morning, waddling along the middle of a suburban street.

Tolugafale Gaualofa found the penguin while driving home from work at about 5:00am. She was amazed to find a penguin in the middle of New Zealand so far from the coast.

Police brought the little penguin back to the station but she wasn't arrested. She has been released unharmed into nearby Titahi Bay.

Source: One news

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Gus and Waldo

We just met two of the most fun penguins on the internet. Gus and Waldo have an excellent website.

Gus and Waldo's Art Gallery shows a new interpretation on famous old masters. Other sections include freebies like e-cards, and wallpapers. Movies will be coming soon.

And there are great t-shirts. Order one.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Fuzzy baby penguin

Philadelphia Zoo/Michael Mercadante

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Monday, June 2, 2008

A Penguin, Maiden and Raft


To promote Samsung's NV24HD camera, three filmmakers were tasked with including a maiden and a penguin in a raft as part of their short film. The films by directors John Hobbs, Manfred Reiff and Eduaro Bono are viewable at celypribeh.cz. The campaign begins its roll-out in the Czech Republic but is slated for Europe and the U.S. as well.

(via Creativity Online)