With technological and structural advancements, economies boom. However, there is a big price to be paid here. Forests and oceans are now at danger, and with it are the animals that live in these areas.
Penguins, for instance, are fast losing their homes. It’s sad how they try to migrate to another area just to be kicked out once more. Thank goodness for the kind souls who have offered to help them.
The brave veterinarians of New Zealand are enduring all the cuts, poo, and “flipper bashing.” They go through all the hard work in order to protect an endemic penguin species alive and thriving on their beautiful South Island. It may not always be easy, but they believe that all their efforts are worth it.
The yellow-eyed penguins are considered an endangered species. They are one of the rarest penguins in the world. This breed also goes by the name “Hoiho,” which translates to “noise shouter” in Māori. Right now, their numbers are between 4,000 to 5,000 left.
A pair of facilities in Dunedin near the extraordinary Otago Peninsula, The Wildlife Hospital and Penguin Place, have been taking care of the birds, treating them, and releasing them back into the wild for many years now. Dr. Lisa Argilla, a vet at the Wildlife Hospital, spoke to BBC travel about this issue and shared, “When I see the difference we’re making, especially for the hoiho, it’s a species I’m so passionate about and just being able to work with these birds and get them back into the wild, that’s actually the best part of the job.”
While 4,000 to 5,000 doesn’t seem so alarmingly low, one has to consider the fact that there are only 265 known breeding pairs, the that 95 percent of injured hoiho that arrive in the hospital recover in order to be released again stresses on the extraordinary contribution of both teams to national Kiwi conservation.
Jason van Zanten, conservation manager at Penguin Place, again also talked to BBC about the extraordinary work of Penguin Place and said, “If Penguin Place wasn’t here, I could almost guarantee that the population would be functionally extinct.”
Before the Wildlife Hospital opened its doors last January of 2018, the injured penguins that were brought to Penguin Place, which has been operating since the 1990s, had to be brought all the way to the North Island to be cared for and observed. With the opening of the hospital and its immediate proximity, the hoiho can now be treated immediately, and experts saw how this has drastically aided in maintaining the population.
However, things have been difficult for Penguin Place in the last new months because of the pandemic. This is the world’s first entirely tourism-funded conservation reserve, but the measures that needed to be imposed by the government, the establishment now has just enough remaining capital to survive only the next few months. With the warmer climate just around the bend, Penguin Place needs tourism to return. Otherwise, they will be forced to close their doors permanently and leave the penguins to fend for themselves without any human intervention whatsoever.
However, they say that there is still a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The Otago Peninsula’s wild coastlines, towering headlands, and sheltered fjords have been home to a wide and rich variety of natural scenery and animals. A big portion of this area have remained to be protected all thanks to tourist dollars that are somehow still coming in.
And until tourism finally returns for visits in the coastal reserve, Penguin Place has depended on donations. It is with hope that while the penguins do have a home to go to, the extra help goes a long way and will be very much appreciated by the people caring for these birds. With Penguin Place still there and hanging on, even by a thread, these penguins will get the help they need.
Many have organized donations, and if you are interested, you can make a contribution on their website that also comes with planning a tour that you can do.
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