Members of the R3 Animal Association found 70 dead Magellanic penguins on two separate beaches in Brazil. The birds are believed to have entangled in fishing gear and drowned, according to Daily Mail.
The penguins washed up on the Santinho and Mocambique beaches in the city of Florianopolis.
One penguin was still alive and taken to the Centre of Research, Rehabilitations and Depetrolisation of Marine Animals, along with the dead penguins that will undergo autopsies.
‘It’s pretty sad their death, we’re devastated every time one dies. It’s pretty frustrating the indication that they suffered from dying,’ the Association posted on Facebook.
‘Apart from the problematic plastic disposed of in the oceans and confused with food, incidental capture (bycatch) is one of the great causes of death of marine animals,’ they added. ‘Even though they are not targeted for fishing, the animals end up caught and die.’
‘We monitor the beaches on the island [of Santa Catarina where Florianopolis is located] in search of dead or weak marine animals,’ the Association said according to Ananova News. ‘The dead animals undergo examination to determine the cause of death, and the living animals are rehabilitated before being released.’
Magellanic penguins live on the shores of Argentina during summer, but migrate to the warmer regions of Brazil and Peru during the winter season, according to National Geographic.
Image credit: Twitter/Earth_Extreme
