Chile's Humboldt penguin could be facing extinction, experts warn
Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti), native to the coasts of Chile and Peru, facing significant threats from environmental changes and human activities. (Photo credit should read MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images)
The Humboldt penguin population along the central coast of Chile has dramatically decreased, making them one of the world's most vulnerable penguin species and putting them at risk of extinction, experts warned Reuters.
Last year, scientists surveyed two islands off the central Chilean coast and detected 842 breeding pairs or active nests.
This year, they found just one breeding pair. Paulina Arce, a veterinarian specializing in penguins, noted that penguin populations on all surveyed islands either decreased or remained the same.
Speaking with Reuters, Paulina Arce, a veterinarian specializing in penguins, says that penguin populations in all islands surveyed decreased or remained the same.
"This could lead to an even more drastic scenario, which could be the extinction of the species," Arce said.
Speaking with Reuters, Paulina Arce, a penguin specialist veterinarian, highlighted that penguin populations on all surveyed islands either decreased or remained the same. "This could lead to an even more drastic scenario, which could be the extinction of the species," Arce said.
Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) live in colonies along the Pacific coasts of Chile and Peru, named for their use of the cold Humboldt Current. These flightless birds can weigh up to 11 pounds (5 kg) and reach a height of 2 feet 3 inches (70 cm) as adults.
Diego Penaloza, president of the Safari Conservation Foundation, identified marine pollution, lack of pet supervision, and disturbance of nesting sites as the main threats to wild penguins.
Additionally, the combination of avian flu and the El Nino weather phenomenon has severely impacted penguin populations and other wildlife.
Javiera Meza, head of Biodiversity Conservation at national forestry office Conaf, explained that these factors have caused Humboldt penguin reproduction rates to drop to nearly zero.
"It was the avian flu plus the El Nino phenomenon that shifted all the food towards the southern zone, and therefore, in the entire northern Chile, reproduction dropped to almost zero levels, and on top of that, many penguins died," Meza said. "It was like the perfect storm."
This story was reported from Los Angeles.