save the penguins!

For those that don't know me, penguins are my favorite bird. While on a photo shoot at the Portland Zoo this last week, I was taken with this little guy, so I decided to devote some time to photographing him. Needless to say, he was very patient in letting me do my camera work.

Tragically, the penguin population around the world is currently in steep decline. More than one-fifth of penguin species are in danger of becoming extinct. Since the beginning of the 20th century, the global penguin population has been to half. And, of the 19 species, four are facing certain extinction.

Although Zoos in general may have their place in education and possibly protecting limited species from going extinct, it made my heart very sad to see this penguin and his many friends in captivity. Until humans work to curb their impact on the environment, Penguins like this are in danger of having their existence snuffed out.

According to the WWF, penguins face a number of threats, including destruction of nesting habitats, competition with fishermen for fish and shrimp, and introduced predators such as rats, dogs and foxes which eat penguin eggs and young. The greatest potential threat to penguins in global warming, as they are extremely sensitive to climate change. For more information on what you can do, please visit WWF's Penguin Page