Little blue penguins are washing up dead on New Zealand beaches
Little blue penguins have been washing up dead on the shores of New Zealand, in what experts say are more frequent mass die-offs amid changing climate patterns.
Little blue penguins — a flightless bird native to New Zealand and the world’s smallest penguin species — have been washing up dead on the country’s beaches, in what experts say are more frequent mass die-offs amid changing climate patterns.
Hundreds of lifeless birds have been found in northern New Zealand since early May, though the exact number is difficult to determine and reports are still coming in, said Graeme Taylor, principal science adviser at the New Zealand Department of Conservation.
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The penguins, also known as korora, were tested for diseases and biotoxins, but appeared to have died from starvation, Taylor said.
“All the birds were at least half the normal weight, they had no fat on them at all and their muscle tissue had wasted away.”
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