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emperor penguin on NewZealand mainland (1 Viewer)

Experts argue over future of 'Happy Feet' penguin (Earth Times)

Penguin found washed up on New Zealand's coast could be released into wild or kept in captivity. The fate of a juvenile Emperor Penguin found washed up on a New Zealand beach has gripped the country and its media.

More from Earth Times
 
it does seem odd, but DoC has really been stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place throughout this situation. Leave the penguin on the beach and let nature take its course or take it into captivity; release it back off the NZ coast, in the Southern Ocean, or down in Antarctica: whatever they do they are going to be criticised and abused. The latest news report illustrates this well:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/5209740/Condemnation-over-Happy-Feet-delay
 
Reading that it seemed really odd that on one hand, they won't send it back to Antarctica because it might carry some disease but on the other hand they are releasing it close enough that it could make its own way back (possibly carrying some disease).

CB

I think part of the reason is that they would be breaking NZ's own law if they took it back to Antarctica. NZ has incorporated an Antartic treaty into its law which prohibits the transport of any bird species, native or otherwise into the Antarctic.

Maybe I am not fully accurate on this though ...Chlidonias?
 
that's right, it does seem that taking it to Antarctica would be in breach of the laws (which is rather a moot point though as the bird would have to stay at the zoo for six months or so before there are any flights or boats going there, and its quite likely it wouldn't survive that long). The subantarctic islands are much closer with more traffic this time of year, so are a more appropriate choice. But it does rather make a nonsense of the disease argument.
 
that's right, it does seem that taking it to Antarctica would be in breach of the laws (which is rather a moot point though as the bird would have to stay at the zoo for six months or so before there are any flights or boats going there, and its quite likely it wouldn't survive that long). The subantarctic islands are much closer with more traffic this time of year, so are a more appropriate choice. But it does rather make a nonsense of the disease argument.

Maybe it is just a compromise to "give the bird a chance" whilst limiting the risk of disease transmission. The logic might be "If the bird really is ill, then perhaps it will die before it gets there, but if is not ill, then it will (or might) get back of its own accord". That's my thinking!

cheers, a
 
I'd have thought the best bet now is to just keep it in captivity. I can't see any happy future for it if its released.
 
It seems sort of funny that returning an Emperor Penguin to Antarctica is in contrivention of the Antarctic Treaty (and NZ laws as they are a signatory) yet we allow approximately 30000 tourists a year to visit plus the thousands of military and scientic personal.

There has certainly been massive dieoffs of birds (from avian cholera (and other diseases) I believe) in Antarctica and places such as South Georgia. This we should not encourage. What of the sheathbills that hitch rides on ships?

Unfortunately the little icefree land in ANtarctica has been heavily impacted by humans over the last 100 years or so, thankfully we are making an effort to reduce and future impacts.
 
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