Penguins Threatened By Malaria

All around the world most zoos have penguin exhibits; everyone enjoys the adorable little creatures including the zookeepers whom take care of them and the visitors at the zoos. Penguins have been taken out of their natural habitats, and because of that they are stalked by a killer disease known as malaria. The outbreaks among the penguins vary widely, but most of the time if the bird is left untreated it results in a death of the animal. Species-specific mosquitoes go after the penguins, that simply means that the mosquitoes carrying malaria and the parasites are harmless if it were to bite a human. During the summers at zoos the mosquito counts are very high and it is dangerous for the birds. Different zoos take different precautions to protect the penguins. At the Maryland zoo all the new penguins get blood drawn once a week, and if any stain of malaria is found in their bodies they are treated from there on. In New York City their zoos use the same methods, and at Central Park Zoo the King, Gentoo, and Chinstrap penguins are very lucky because they live in a giant walk-in refrigerator. So therefore the birds are constantly protected because the mosquitoes do not have much of a chance in the cold altitudes. In London zoos the penguins pens are sprayed with lavender and they are almost given lavender to make their nests. The smell is proven to keep most of the mosquitoes away for long periods of time. In other zoos all around the world the penguins are given a daily dose of primaquine or chloroquine. That was once a medicine used to treat humans at a point in time. The zoos are very protective over the birds, and try to always keep them in their best health year round. After reading this article I was informed about something I really had no idea about. I enjoy seeing penguins at the zoo just as much as everyone else does. They are beautiful creatures and I do think it is very important that they get specific care. The summers have been continuing to get hotter and longer each year, so in my opinion precautions should be taken throughout the whole year to prep the penguins for the long summer. Assuring that the penguins remain healthy is important because preventing the death of any penguins is major. If malaria continues to spread within the penguin population and gets past the point of the treatment it will result in death for the birds. That happening at a rapid pace could lead to endangerment of the species. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/08/science/earth/zoos-aim-to-ward-off-a-penguin-killer.html?_r=0