SAO PAULO (Brazil)< Aug 23 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — Over 350 Magellanic penguins were found lifeless along the coast of Ilha Comprida in São Paulo, Brazil, the Cananéia Research Institute (IPeC) announced this week. The birds, discovered over four consecutive days, were in an advanced state of decomposition, which made it impossible to determine the exact cause of death.
”In the latest monitoring carried out on the Ilha Comprida stretch, we found a large number of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) stranded, all already dead and in an advanced stage of decomposition, which makes it impossible to determine the exact cause of their death,” the scientific group said in a statement.
However, IPeC experts suggested possible factors such as long-distance migration, food scarcity, parasitic or infectious diseases, and interactions with fishing activities.
The institute noted that this season has been particularly challenging, with a high number of stranded and severely weakened animals, with only 19 of them alive.
The IPeC is part of the Santos Basin Beach Monitoring Project (PMP-BS), an initiative required by federal environmental licensing for oil and gas production in the region, which is tasked with monitoring and documenting such occurrences.
“The project is a requirement of federal environmental licensing, conducted by Ibama, for Petrobras’ oil and natural gas production and distribution activities in the Santos Basin,” the institute also explained.
The IPeC had already warned of a challenging scenario, with many stranded and severely weakened animals. ”Compared to the last two years, this season’s penguins are arriving very underweight, hypothermic (in some cases, unable to measure their temperature), with signs of interaction with fishing, and many with compromised respiratory conditions,” it was also pointed out. — NNN-MERCOPRESS
