New Zealand scientists are embarking on research to find the solution to one of nature’s great mysteries: the disappearance of a breed of penguins every winter.
According to Xinhua, scientists at the New Zealand Atmosphere and Water Research Institute (NIWA), sponsored by National Geographic magazine (US), will study where jumping penguins (like penguins) small in Antarctica, New Zealand and the Falkland Islands) disappears with the onset of winter.
As part of the plan, the group will travel to the breed’s breeding site on Campbell Island, New Zealand, to attach 88 miniature tracking tags to the penguins’ paws. They hope that, based on the information gathered from these tags, they will know where they go when winter arrives, as well as their distribution and habitat use.
“We don’t know where they go every winter – said NIWA scientist David Thompson – I don’t think they go too far because they can’t fly, even though they can swim fast.”
“Winter is perhaps an important time in their reproductive cycle. To raise the chicks, they must return to Campbell Island at the start of the breeding season in good condition, ”added Thompson.
According to the scientist’s statistics, from 1942 to 1985 the number of jumping penguins at Campbell fell from about 800,000 breeding pairs to just 51,000 and this decline continued.
“They haven’t reached extinction in the near future, but it’s a huge decline,” Thompson said. He also hypothesized that they were running low on food reserves and therefore declined rapidly.
Adult jumping penguins can stand 40cm tall, weigh 4kg, distinguish them from other penguins by having red eyes and yellow crest.
