Blogging Challenge #7

By Zach

It seems to me that in every fictional penguin-related movie, penguins are hunted by polar bears. The truth is, penguins and polar bears have never met face-to-face because they live on opposite sides of the world. Polar bears live in the North Pole, also known as the Arctic. Penguins live in the Southern hemisphere in places like Antarctica, Africa and South America. And that is just one of the many false penguin stereotypes – most of which are based on no truth at all.

My personal favorite penguin is the Little Blue Penguin. They are the smallest of the penguin species and weigh only 2 to 3 pounds when fully grown. But there are many other species to choose from, like my parent’s favorite – the Rockhopper Penguin. Both are very rare to see in zoos and aquariums. And, since I live in America, I cannot see them in the wild.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Little Blue Penguin at New England Aquarium. Photo Credit: Zach

Most zoos in America have the African Black Footed Penguin because they are the easiest to take care of and cost the least to set up a habitat for. Certain penguins are difficult to set up a habitat for, such as the Emperor Penguin that lives in sub-arctic/arctic conditions.

Penguin at Mystic Aquarium Photo Credit: Zach
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Many species of penguins are endangered. On the Mystic Aquarium Website , you can learn a lot more about why African Black Footed Penguins are endangered and how you can help. According to the website, in 2010, researchers reported that the wild population was estimated to be 21,000 pairs. At a 2013 international penguin conference, biologists reduced their estimates to 19,000 pairs. The population has declined by 70% in the last 10 years alone. In fact, African Black Footed Penguins face extinction in the wild unless humans help them.

 People can help in many ways. One way is to eat sustainably caught seafood or, even better, become a vegetarian like me. You can help by not littering. You may ask, how does my litter in Italy impact penguins in the wild? The wind blows the litter into the ocean. The litter then get blown to their habitat or it might impact their food supply. Picking up litter near your home can also help. Recycling can help. Also, donating money to nonprofits that help penguins, like Mystic Aquarium, can make a big difference. Any amount could potentially save a penguin’s life.

 In conclusion, penguins are endangered and need your help to survive. To help them, I have created a website called www.penguinpower.info. On this site, I help to educate people on how they can help preserve and help the penguins. You can help the penguins WADDLE ON.