Sniper protection for threatened penguins
Snipers have been deployed to protect an endangered colony of penguins in Sydney following a series of vicious attacks on the birds, Australian wildlife authorities announced Monday.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service said the marksmen would stand guard “as long as necessary” to protect the 120 little penguins who live at Manly and North Head in Sydney’s North Harbour.
Nine penguins have been mauled to death at beaches in the area in the last fortnight with foxes or stray dogs believed to be responsible for the killings because of bite marks found on the animals.
The endangered creatures, who once numbered in the hundreds, are the only breeding penguin colony in mainland New South Wales and North Harbour has been declared a “critical habitat” for the birds.
Snipers stood guard with infrared cameras at North Head for the first time Sunday night.
“We’ve had no luck so far finding what has done this so we’ll keep on trying,” a National Parks and Wildlife Service spokeswoman told the Sydney Morning Herald.
“We’ll be there for as long as necessary as part of a pronged approach. We’ve got infrared cameras as well to detect fox movements along with fox baiting. This is really a microcosm of the devastation foxes can wreak in some areas. There’s been quite a few bandicoots killed up there in the past too.”
Dog owners in the area are being urged to keep their pets leashed.