P-p-p-p-pick up a penguin! Hundred of penguins airlifted off Brazilian coast

Simon Meadows

Last updated 08/10/2008 22:38:30

Hundreds of penguins rescued along Brazil's coast have been airlifted to their native territory in the south Atlantic ocean.

They were transferred by the Brazilian Air Force in a Hercules plane down to the southern tip of Brazil, where they are being released into the ocean. Some are to return on a navy vessel.

At least a thousand birds are thought to have washed up on the coast of Brazil, with some believed to have made a journey of more than 1,860 miles from the cold waters of Patagonia. Some of the birds were found covered in oil.

Penguins make their way north annually in search of food. But the numbers and distances travelled this year have been astonishing.

Some experts have said that penguin migration is closely linked to their need for food and suggest something has gone wrong with their normal fish supply. This may be due to changes in water temperatures and ocean currents or man-made pollution.