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Falklands Conservation |
Adopt a King Penguin
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, whilst on a visit to the Falklands Islands, has launched a new scheme to support protection of King penguins. The birds are located at Volunteer Point on East Falkland, the most accessible and visited colony in the world for these beautiful birds.
The Duke, who is Patron of Falklands Conservation, made the announcement at a reception in his honour in Stanley on 10th November 2002. He said: 'The wildlife of the Falkland Islands is very special, and I am delighted to announce this opportunity for giving direct support to one of its most impressive birds. I hope that sufficient penguins will be adopted through this initiative to protect the colony at Volunteer Point and to help with the vital penguin research work undertaken by this charity'.
Duke of York receiving two penguin gifts for his daughters from members of Falklands Conservation WATCH nature club.
Volunteer Point is currently home to 1,200 adult King penguins with 345 chicks and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Falklands. Over 1,000 tourists come to this remote spot between November and March. Falklands Conservation will be appointing a warden to prevent undue disturbance by visitors to which King Penguins are particularly susceptible and which can lead to abandonment of their one egg (carried in a fold of skin on their feet). Research programmes need support to monitor the diet of Falkland penguins, their population and breeding success and so provide vital information in assessing the impact of commercial fisheries and other threats to their survival.
The Adopt a King Penguin scheme costs £25 per penguin. Adoptees receive a Report and a Newsletter on the Volunteer Point colony, a penguin photo, certificate and badge.
Click here to adopt a King penguin
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Patron: HRH The Duke of York CVO ADC Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature | BirdLife International Representative |