Chile's Humboldt penguins under threat of extinction

[Judi Lynn]

Chile's Humboldt penguins under threat of extinction
just added by Paulina Abramovich

Humboldt penguins—which nest only in parts of Chile and Peru—over the years have become decimated by human encroachment, rat infestations and unforgiving weather currents carried by unusually warm El Nino ocean temperatures, naturalists said.

The Pajaro Nino islet, spread across a narrow channel of water from the popular resort area of Algarrobo, once drew about 2,000 of the birds during nesting season.

Today only about 500 of the birds come to this area some 120 kilometers (75 miles) west of Santiago.

~snip~
"A multitude of factors threaten a species that is highly diminished relative to what once existed," Simeone said.

The beginning of their demise dates back to 1978, when the island, which is also a nature sanctuary, was joined to the mainland by a cement fill-in—a breakwater designed to protect the yachts of millionaire sailing enthusiasts.

More:
http://phys.org/news/2013-04-chile-humboldt-penguins-threat-extinction.html#jCp

[bettyellen]

1. the bridge should be destroyed!

[stuntcat]

2. luckily their extinction will be blamed on rats and El Nino though!

We'll have so many great things to blame all the extinctions of the next few decades on!