SAN CLEMENTE DEL TUYU, Argentina (Reuters) — Nine Magellanic penguins were returned to sea on Tuesday (August 08) in San Clemente del Tuyu, Argentina, after recovering from malnutrition at the Rescue and Rehabilitation Center of the Mundo Marino Foundation in Argentina.
The Magellanic penguin inhabits the waters off of Argentina and Chile. In the Southern Hemisphere’s winter they can even be found as far north as Uruguay and the southern coast of Brazil.
Since this species of penguin lives in groups, a solitary individual arriving at the Rescue and Rehabilitation Center is given time to recover, as well as time to adapt to a new group that can be returned to the sea together. The Mundo Marino Foundation’s center has rescued at least 2,600 penguins of which around 80 percent have been rehabilitated and returned to the sea.
Experts from the foundation note that it is unusual for Magellanic penguins to appear on beaches, and such behavior usually means they are in need of help. People coming across penguins on beaches should notify authorities immediately and not try to touch them or return them to water.