MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Penguins returned to sea

Penguins returned to sea

As part of the World Animal Day celebrations, over 150 penguins were returned to the sea in the Uruguayan Atlantic resort of Punta del Este. The Magellan penguins began arriving in the Uruguayan coast last June and July covered in oil and condemned to a slow, agonizing death if they weren't appropriately treated, and on time.

SOS Marine Life Rescue is a Uruguayan NGO operating from Punta Colorada, twenty miles from Punta del Este, that last year made headlines when they saved and recovered "Papo" a male sea elephant, has a long experience with stray penguins."But never so many at the same time", remarked biologist Richard Tesore from SOS Marine Life Rescue.

"We had to appeal to locals and school children to help us clean the oil, besides feeding them between 800 grams and a kilo of fish per day", adds Mr. Tesore.

Finally crucial advise came from Brazilian veterinary Rodolfo Da Silva who is also a member of the International Fund for Animal Welfare."Rodolfo was working in Mar del Plata with another batch of 200 stray penguins but he came over and he taught us cleansing techniques. It was great", stressed Tesore.

Dr. Da Silva last year helped save 90% of 2,000 penguins covered in oil that appeared in South African beaches.

"Tankers and ballasting is terrible for penguins and it's getting worse all over the world", said Mr. Tesore.

However for the children present in Punta del Este jetty to say goodbye to their penguin friends it was a big "well done"."They're going back to sea to join their friends", yelled a nine years old waving the penguins.