Soon, the only place you might be able to see the yellow-eyed penguin is on the back of a New Zealand $5 dollar bill, or on line. That’s because, in just 40 short years, this iconic bird could be extinct.
In a recent study, scientist have noted that global warming and other factors might have taken these flightless birds almost irreversibly to the edge. If we are going to save them we must act now.
But according to scientists this is only part of the problem. Adding to their demise - the population has fallen by 75% since the 90s - is the fact that they are often caught in fishermen’s gillnets.
In fact in one year, nearly 70 birds met their end this way. With populations at dire levels on the mainland - there are only between 200 and 250 breeding pairs left - there is no time to waste.
Doing your part to fight global warming is important. But you can also help to save the yellow-eyed penguin by signing this petition and asking Prime Minister Bill English to ban gillnet fishing now. Because the world will be a darker place without these bright-eyed birds.
