It is no secret that for almost all of the species of penguins out there, the numbers are less than they were just a few decades ago. There are many reasons for this including hunting them for oil, taking their eggs, destroying their natural environment, the weather, and a lack of food supply. All of these factors though have left many of them vulnerable and others at risk for extinction.
It is due to those facts that all of the species of penguins in the world are protected. There are laws that prevent them from being hunted and from their eggs being taken. However, we all know such efforts still take place on a large scale. Such acts of poaching and stealing can’t always been monitored. The risk of being caught for those that engage in it is also less than the benefits they can gain if they are successful in their efforts.
One of the strictest areas when it comes to the protection of penguins is in the Antarctic. Under the treaty initiated in 1959 it is illegal to harm a penguin in any way. This treaty was updated in 1991 with the penalties for such violations being very severe in nature. Even those penguins in that area that are used for observation and scientific data have to be approved and reported.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 has also helped to protect our endangered penguins. However, it is also important to understand that this law covers those penguins found in some parts og the world. There are other countries including the USA that have refugee locations in place. They are used to help educate about the destruction of penguins. They are also used to offer them a safe environment for reproduction to occur. This is all done in the hopes that we can see their numbers significantly improve in the future.
There are plenty of groups that go out of their way to help protect penguins when it is needed. For example when they see that some have been injured with fishing nets for boats, they nurse them back to health. They may have to feed them for weeks or months as their bodies heal. Without such conservation efforts they would have died in the wild.
When there are risks to the water such as oil spills or other contaminants, it can quickly kill thousands of penguins in the area. Efforts that are organized for quick intervention mean that the penguins can temporarily be relocated. Then clean up efforts can continue in that area. Hopefully the penguins will soon be able to return to their natural environment. This type of intervention has definitely helped to reduce the number of causalities related to such events.
By understanding how penguins are being affected, we can all take action to prevent them from being extinct. There are plenty of organizations that you can become a part of online if you wish to help with such efforts. Some of them you can help with by volunteering with them at a location in your area. Others you can work with by donating money, spreading information, or helping them with a particular cause they promote.
It is important that we all take action now to prevent them from becoming a part of the past. Many species have drastically low numbers even with conservation efforts in place. Therefore it is obvious much more needs to be done if there is hope for their survival. It is the responsibility of each of us to do all we can to get these penguins removed from the endangered and the vulnerable lists. With constant efforts we can do it!
(source: google/http://www.penguins-world.com/)
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