512 Dead Penguins in Brazil: How Did They Die?

What Killed 512 Magellanic Penguins?

512 Magellanic penguins washed up dead on the beaches of Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul.

Magellanic penguins are native to southern Chile and Argentina. They migrate north to warmer waters in search of food, traveling as far as Rio de Janiero. These penguins are threatened by oil spills, which kill over 20,000 of them per year. However, the penguins found on the Brazilian beaches were not oil-slicked, nor did they seem to be underweight.

At the moment, nobody knows what killed all these penguins.

Veterinarians took 30 of the penguins to Porto Alegre University to perform autopsies.

In early July, dozens of penguins showed up on Ipanema beach. Beachgoers were thrilled, but the penguins were too far north of their normal climate, having gotten lost; and were flown back down south.

The video below shows the penguins found in early July, as they're nursed back to health.

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Rehab for Rio de Janeiro's lost penguins

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sourced by NowPublic Staff