Iceberg threatens penguin colony in Antarctica

sydney - A colony of penguins in danger of extinction because of a huge iceberg blocks their access to the sea. The iceberg, which is as big as a small country, swept in 2011 in the Commonwealth Bay in Antarctica, where dwells the colony Adelie Penguins.

Researchers from the Australian University of New South Wales counted penguins and published their findings in the journal Antarctic Science. They found only 5520 penguin couples, while a century ago the bay was still populated by 100 000 black and white birds. The remaining penguins are also 'docile' and no brood eggs.

The iceberg must pass the penguins now 120 kilometers to get to the sea. The researchers saw hundreds of abandoned eggs and frozen chickens. They do not know how long the iceberg stays there, but fear the penguin colony is extinct within twenty years if the situation remains so.