It has been over 20 days since the Rena ran aground on a beautiful coral reef off the northern coast of New Zealand on 05 October. And what has been called "the worst environmental disaster in the history of the island" is creating disastrous effects on the life of many animal and plant species. Among these, the tender and sweet blue penguins, the historical symbol of the island. The thousands of tons of oil spilled from the cargo have devastating effects on aquatic birds, one above all, the melting of the layer of fat that waterproofs the animals and retains their heat. For this, the specimens that survived the disaster risk hypothermia.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
They have passed over 20 days since the Rena ran aground, last 05 October, on a beautiful one barrier Reef off the northern coast of New Zealand. And what has been called "" is creating disastrous effects on the life of many animal and plant species. Among these, the tender and sweet blue penguins, historical symbol of the island. The thousands of tons of Petroleum escaped from the cargo have devastating effects on the aquatic birds, one above all, lo dissolution of the layer of fat that waterproofs the animals and retains their heat. For this reason, the specimens that survived the disaster riskhypothermia.
How to contribute to help the little cold pengu victims of the oil spill? Here comes a simple and truly original solution: a New Zealand yarn shop, which immediately after the earthquake in Japan had mobilized to create wool sweaters for the displaced, has recently launched an appeal to knitters from all over the world to make penguin-sized wool sweaters, complete with instructions and measures to create a mock turtleneck with openings on the sides for the wings.
What would not be done for the poor penguins ... and the world of knitting women is mobilizing en masse, so much so that the site is forced to stop sending sweaters, because the demands have been abundantly exceeded.
But is wrapping birds in a soft sweater a really smart idea? Not really, according to Natalie Clark, of the Auckland Zoo: “putting them on penguins means subjecting them to further stress, upsetting them more than they already are. These are wild penguins that have never had any interaction with humans. They are already stressed enough without wearing any sweater ". Also because the specimens recovered by volunteers and housed in the centers come heated with lamps and dryers. Sweaters born from so much knitting will therefore never be used.
Ma Marg Healy, former head of rehabilitation at Phillip Island Wildlife Park, Australia, disagrees and argues that precious yarns may have a usefulness: they could prevent penguins not yet cleansed.I smooth the feathers with my mouth, inevitably ingesting the toxic substances which can cause death. The "tactic" was used successfully as early as 1988, as the book explains Astounding Knits! . So, after all, the gimmick may not be that silly.
Right or wrong, certainly the thought of a penguin dressed in a soft woolen turtleneck inspires a lot of sympathy. And the Canadian singer-songwriter must have liked it a lot too James Gordon, since in 2002 he wrote a song dedicated specifically to the subject for CBC Radio, which is titled, needless to say, "Sweaters for Penguins". The inspiration came from a BBC story of the making of penguin sweaters for a Tasmanian colony.
Who knows what penguins would say if they knew how to speak ... They would probably be simply grateful to the many hands that, armed with needles, have given life to wool creations with the best intentions in the world.
Roberta Ragni
