This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A major push is underway to catch and vaccinate more than 5,000 little penguins in Victoria to protect them against the virulent H5N1 bird flu. Victorian wildlife officers will carry out vaccinations at little penguin colonies on Phillip Island and in St Kilda, in what the state government says is the world's largest program targeting wild birds.
One little penguin on Phillip Island has already died of bird flu. Capturing wildlife for vaccination is difficult, particularly because they may need two or more doses of the vaccine. So, how will this unprecedented program help little penguins?
Little penguins (Eudyptula minor) are the world's smallest penguin, reaching a height of about 30 centimeters (12 inches) and weighing around 1.5 kilograms (3.3 pounds). These charismatic birds live on the southern coast of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, as well as Tasmania and New Zealand. Famously, they can be found on Phillip Island in Victoria, where more than 700,000 people come each year to see them emerge from the ocean at sunset and waddle up the beach to their burrows in the "penguin parade." The colonies on Phillip Island and in St Kilda are home to around 40,000 penguins.
Because large numbers of birds live close together and the virus is highly infectious, bird flu poses a significant threat. Capturing wildlife to vaccinate them is difficult, particularly because the bird flu vaccination requires that they be caught twice for two doses. However, little penguins are flightless, live in colonies and return at night to the same burrow, making them easier to capture and vaccinate.
Birds affected by H5N1 may be unable to stand or fly, or may appear lethargic. They may have an unusual head or neck posture or die suddenly in large numbers without any signs at all. Little penguins are already under pressure from invasive predators such as cats and foxes, artificial light, roads and overfishing.
Climate change is also taking a toll, with warming oceans reducing fish numbers. A popular tourist attraction in Bicheno, Tasmania, recently had to temporarily close due to adults failing to return to shore and abandoning chicks. Ecologists believed it was linked to a sudden rise in sea temperature.
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