"Thank you for your email. I have left to pursue my dream of crocheting sweaters for penguins in Antarctica and no longer work for the School of Economics. I will be out of office on a permanent, indefinite, open-ended basis until my penguin friends are happy."
According to a Chinese student in the UK, her tutor has been making waves online after quitting school to knit sweaters for penguins in Antarctica.
Knitting sweaters for penguins is indeed a charity endeavor.
A major oil spill occurred near Phillip Island in Australia in the late 1990s. Following the incident, while the oil-affected penguins were rescued, there was a noticeable decline in both the number and health of penguin chicks in the following two breeding seasons. This could be attributed to the fact that the penguins had already suffered physiological damage from the oil before being cleaned by the staff.
Little penguins that are oiled will attempt to preen and remove the poisonous oil from their feathers, but they risk dying if they consume it. They become cold, heavy, and unable to swim or seek for food as a result of the damage to their fragile feathers, which exposes their skin to harsh temperatures.
As a result, knitting-lovers all over the world have been urged to knit sweaters for the penguins by the Penguin Foundation and Phillip Island Nature Parks. In order to temporarily warm the penguins and keep them from consuming the oil, these sweaters are given to them when they need to be cleaned.
The last significant oil spill around Phillip Island occurred in 2001, affecting 438 little penguins. With the assistance of penguin jumpers, 96% of those were successfully recovered and returned to the wild by the Phillip Island Wildlife Clinic.
The penguin jumper program has been running for over 20 years. Over this time, generous knitters from across the globe have sent over 200,000 little penguin jumpers!
Are artificial sweaters suitable for penguins?
Some also argue that these sweaters could potentially add extra pressure to the penguins' bodies, and might even cause them to overheat. The Penguin Foundation explained that knitted jumpers are temporarily placed on the penguins, acting as a barrier to prevent them from reaching their oily feathers with their beaks, before rescue staff are able to wash their bodies clean.
Knitters can't do whatever they want either. Because penguins need sweaters that are made of all wool, there are set standards for knitting. Many of the sweaters received by the Penguin Foundation are not suitable for penguins because they are too patterned and do not meet the standard for wear.
However, these penguin pullovers are being worn on the bodies of penguin toys, and by selling penguin dolls in sweaters, the foundation is raising money for the wildlife of Phillip Island, which may be another way to protect the penguins.
Related News:
Sense of contrast! Chinese fighter, acupuncturist Shi Ming makes waves on internet
Comment