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THE deaths of penguins at the Halifax Island beach some 10 kilometres outside Lüderitz near Diaz Point, about 100 metres off the mainland, are suspected to be linked to bird flu.
The ministry of fisheries’ spokesperson, De Wet Siluka yesterday confirmed that symptoms of bird flu were detected from the live and rehabilitated penguins’ observations, and it is suspected it might be the cause of the penguins’ deaths.
The recent inspection, conducted on 27 January, found similar symptoms in one of the swift tern birds on the same island, he added.
But, Siluka said, central veterinary laboratory results expected soon were still needed to determine the exact cause of the seabirds’ mortalities.
The deaths of the penguins were discovered late last month, and about 250 mostly adult birds have been reported dead.
He said the ministry is committed to visiting the island on a regular basis, despite rough weather conditions, to collect dead penguins’ bodies, and burn them to avoid the further spread of the suspected cause of death.
“We are also collecting and rehabilitating the infected penguins at our intensive care facilities,” he continued.
Siluka said the biggest worry is that penguins are already endangered species.
“Besides good population growth recorded on this island, here comes another catastrophe to the penguins’ population growth,” he stated.
Halifax Island, according to the ministry’s spokesperson, is the third most important breeding site for African penguins, and is home to about 2 500 penguins that contribute to the entire Namibian population of about 26 000 penguins.
Other seabirds breeding on the island include crowned cormorants, swift terns and Hartlaub’s gulls.
Penguins are part of a food web, and basically feeding regimes of other seabirds as well, and the ministry was thus working around the clock to establish the cause of death.
Courtesy of namibian.com.na
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