Animal

Nearly 600 dead penguins wash up on beach after cyclone hits Brazil


Magellanic penguins usually migrate to Brazilian beaches in search of food (Picture: Getty)

Heartbreaking images show hundreds of dead penguins lined up next to each other on a beach.

It comes after a subtropical cyclone wreaked havoc in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina last week, displacing multiple animals, including turtles and birds.

Some 622 penguins washed up on to the sand and 596 of them were dead.

Animal welfare volunteers who made the grim discovery say they are not certain how they died.

Some of the penguins were already in an advanced state of decomposition, suggesting they may have died before being washed ashore.

Others may have perished getting caught up in the powerful waves caused by the cyclone.

Some penguins had been dead for some time (Picture: Jam Press)
The penguins’ migration trip at this time of year is usually a dangerous one (Picture: Jam Press)

Magellanic penguins usually migrate from from the Falkland Islands, Argentina and Chile to Santa Catarina between June and October every year.

The species like to use the warmer water near Brazil to feed.

This journey is usually a difficult one anyway, with many, especially the youngest ones, dying on their way.

Penguins who do reach Santa Catarina are often weakened, exhausted and dehydrated.

Adding the cyclone to the mix meant many of the birds did not stand a chance.

Extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent because of climate change, scientists have warned.

Cambridge University scientists recently published a paper which said there are ‘ample reasons to suspect that climate change could result in a global catastrophe’.

The team urged governments to facilitate more research and take more action to avoid the ‘four horsemen’ of the climate endgame: famine and malnutrition, extreme weather, conflict, and vector-borne diseases.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.





READ SOURCE

Leave a Reply

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this site, you accept our use of cookies.