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Oil Disaster - Penguins In Peril |
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Friday, 01 April 2011 |
There's a desperate situation on Nightingale Island in the South Atlantic Ocean unfolding right now and the RSPB needs your help. More than 10,000 Northern Rockhopper penguins are believed to be affected, covered in oil after the cargo ship ‘MS Oliva’ crashed into the island, part of the UK Overseas Territory of Tristan da Cunha, 3000km west of South Africa.
Tristan Islanders are determined to save as many penguins as possible and are facing a race against the clock to help save this endangered species. The islanders have arranged boats to pick up the distressed penguins from Nightingale Island and to ferry them to a rehabilitation centre on the neighbouring island of Tristan.
Katrine Herian, who works for the RSPB on the islands, says: “The priority is to get food into the birds as they are very hungry. We are feeding them fish and some are starting to take small half inch squares of food”.
You can make a donation to the RSPB here.
You can also adopt a penguin through the WWF to help with their conservation work in Antarctica.
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