Over the last 10 days, approximately 2,000 Magellanic penguins have been discovered dead on the eastern coast of Uruguay. Authorities are puzzled as the cause of this mortality, which doesn’t seem to be avian influenza, remains unknown.
Carmen Leizagoyen, the head of the Environment Ministry’s department of fauna, revealed that most of the deceased penguins were juveniles found in the Atlantic Ocean, having been carried to Uruguayan shores by currents. Interestingly, around 90 percent of these penguins lacked fat reserves and had empty stomachs upon examination. Tests conducted so far have all shown negative results for avian influenza.
Magellanic penguins typically nest in southern Argentina and migrate north during the southern hemisphere’s winter in search of food and warmer waters, sometimes reaching the coast of the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.
While a certain percentage of penguin mortality is considered normal during migration, the scale of this die-off is alarming. Similar incidents occurred last year in Brazil without clear reasons.
Hector Caymaris, the director of the Laguna de Rocha protected area, reported finding over 500 dead penguins along a six-mile stretch (10 kilometers) of the Atlantic coast.
Environmental advocates point to overfishing and illegal fishing as potential causes for the increase in Magellanic penguin deaths. They have observed animals suffering from a lack of food since the 1990s and 2000s, indicating overexploitation of resources.
Furthermore, a subtropical cyclone that struck southeastern Brazil in mid-July could have played a role in weakening some penguins, leading to their demise due to harsh weather conditions, according to Richard Tesore from the NGO SOS Marine Wildlife Rescue.
In addition to penguins, Tesore also reported finding dead petrels, albatrosses, seagulls, sea turtles, and sea lions on the beaches of Maldonado, a department situated east of the capital, Montevideo.
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