Endangered Penguins

About Penguins

Penguins are a part of the rich biodiversity of the southern hemisphere. A total of seventeen species of Penguins exist, and all of them are found in the southern hemisphere. All the species of Penguins are protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), enacted in 1973.

Penguins are social birds, which swim, feed, and nest in groups. Although they are categorized as birds, they cannot fly. They can run and swim fast. As they are inhabitants of colder region, they feed on shrimp, squid, fish, shellfish, and krill. The mother penguin lays one or two eggs at a time, and the father penguin sits on it to keep it warm till it is hatched.

Both the parents care for their chick. While one of them gets the food, the other guards the chick. The baby penguins are not taught to swim. Once the adult feathers are grown upon them, they leave their nest and jump into the water to swim away.

The red list of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has given a status to all the seventeen species of endangered penguins. The list includes:

1. Galapagos Penguin	Critically Endangered
2. African Penguin	Endangered
3. Humboldt Penguin	Endangered
4. Erect crested Penguin	Endangered
5. Yellow eyed Penguin	Endangered
6. Gentoo Penguin	Near Threatened
7. Magellanic Penguin	Near Threatened
8. Rock hopper Penguin	Vulnerable
9. Macaroni Penguin	Vulnerable
10. Fiordland crested Penguin	Vulnerable
11. Snares Island Penguin	Vulnerable
12. Royal Penguin	Vulnerable
13. Emperor Penguin	Least Concern
14. King Penguin	Least Concern
15. Adelie Penguin	Least Concern
16. Chinstrap Penguin	Least Concern
17. Fairy Penguin	Least Concern

The Galapagos penguins are the most endangered animal species among penguins. There are only 6,000-15,000 individual numbers alive. The African Penguins are endangered animals due to climate change. They live off the coast of Africa, and are most threatened with the effect of global warming. The Erect crested Penguins, the Yellow eyed Penguins, and the Humboldt Penguins have also been listed as endangered animals.

Causes of endangerment of Penguins

The primary threat to the endangered penguins is global warming caused due to the emission of greenhouse gases and depletion of ozone layer. Abnormal warming of ocean waters has diminished sea ice, and has wreaked havoc on the availability of food for penguins.

Krill is an essential food source for the penguins. Since 1970, up to 80% of krill has been lost in the southern ocean. Availability of less food has resulted in decline of the population of Rock hopper and Humboldt Penguins off the coast of South America to the Emperor Penguins in Antarctica.

Moreover, threats from commercial fishing, disturbance at breeding ground, oil spills, marine pollution, habitat loss, and competition for prey have made penguins endangered animals. In addition to it, they are threatened by their natural predators such as sharks, sea lions, orcas, leopard seals, and fur seals.

Therefore, it is important to take effective measures immediately to control the emission of greenhouse gases and global warming, which is melting the glaciers at an alarming rate.