Untitled Document
 Penguins
are lovely birds even though they cannot fly.
They have feathers like other birds.
However, some penguin chicks are suffering from
an uncommon condition that is causing
them to lose their feathers. The naked penguins have been
recently found on both sides
of the South Atlantic by scientists.
According to researchers from the Wildlife
Conservation Society (WCS)야생동물 보호협회 and the University of Washington,
the unusual condition is known as feather-loss disorder. Penguin chicks
in colonies in both South Africa and on the coast of Argentina are suffering
from the disorder.
The scientists said that feather-loss disorder is uncommon in most
bird species. They are not sure
what is causing the disorder. They will conduct further study to
determine the cause of the disease. “We
need to learn how to stop the spread of feather-loss disorder, as
penguins already have problems with oil pollution and pollution and
climate change,” said Dr.
Dee Boersma from the WCS, who is studying the condition.
 “We are
very worried because the condition is spreading to different species,”
said Dr. Boersma. “African black-footed penguin chicks were the first
species that were suffering from feather-loss disorder. However, several
colonies of Magellanic penguins in Argentina also found to be suffering
from the same condition later.”
The disorder was first spotted in penguins in 2006 in Cape Town, South
Africa. Their feathers grew again eventually, but they grew
very slowly. Since the featherless chicks needed
extra energy to stay warm, they became smaller in size than feathered
chicks.
The scientists said the recent emergence of feather-loss
disorder in wild bird populations suggests that the disorder is something
new. Let’s hope more study of this disease will help identify the root cause and find possible
solutions! |
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