The Humboldt penguin population along Chile’s central coast is at risk of extinction after a sharp decline, Reuters reports. Animal protection experts found 842 breeding pairs of penguins on two islands off Chile’s central coast last year, while only one pair was found this year. Data from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species website shows that there are 5,100 breeding pairs of Humboldt penguins in Chile, with a threat level of “vulnerable” and a declining population. Humboldt penguins are mainly found on the west coast of South America around Chile and Peru, and the main threats to their survival come from marine pollution and habitat destruction, coupled with the spread of avian influenza in penguin populations since last year and the El Niño phenomenon that has altered the distribution of fish populations, which has led to a sharp decline in penguin reproduction rates.
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