Where have all the penguins gone?

My name is Hannah, and I am a Youth Board member from Millennium Kids. When I went to Penguin Island with my family in May 2021, we couldn’t find any penguins in places we had seen them before, so I asked why at the information desk, and they told me that the penguin population had declined severely over several years. I later discovered it has decreased 80% since 2007.

When we got home I put together a list of ideas about why this might have happened, and my ideas ranged from too many people walking off the boardwalks to a decrease in fish for the penguins to eat. My mentors at Millennium Kids put me in touch with scientists who are researching the penguins, and now I am keen to help in whatever way I can.

In November, Millennium Kids will be visiting the island to talk more about the reasons the penguin population is decreasing. I would like to make more people aware of this situation. It’s vital that we do something about this because we don’t want to lose any more species.

Learn more about Millennium Kids and the Youth Board.

Story and artwork by Hannah, Millennium Kids

Image credit: Wikipedia commons