The penguins and the bees

The animal world is becoming worryingly out of sync. In recent weeks we've had reports on disappearing honeybees, starving guillemots killing chicks in neighbouring nests, and the decline of the common toad. Sadly, all these situations seem to be linked to man-made problems, such as climate change, the threat of overfishing and habitat destruction.

But one of the strangest nature stories of the year happened this month, when hundreds of penguins emerged from the surf on the coast of Brazil. The beach coastguards immediately swapped Baywatch-like posing for penguin-saving action. Although this mainly involved protecting the penguins from an over-enthusiastic public, whose initial reaction was to place the birds in ice coolers.

After they were rescued, hundreds were flown down to the southern tip of Brazil, to be released into the ocean, while some were returned on a navy vessel. Other penguins that were exhausted by their long journey stayed for a while longer to make the most of the Brazilian weather and its beaches.

The story might seem laughable, but there's a serious side to it too. Of the 1000-plus penguins that were recovered on land, about a fifth died of starvation, exhaustion and other illnesses, plus many are expected to have perished out at sea.

The penguins are thought to have travelled further than normal to find fish, which has led experts to believe that something may have gone wrong with their regular supply. This theory is supported by evidence of penguins eating fish that are not part of their normal diet.

Other speculated causes for the penguins' wayward journey include changes in water temperatures causing confusion on the migratory routes. Other theories include changes in ocean currents and man-made pollution.

All in all, many experts are worried that the penguins' strange behaviour could be a symptom of a much wider problem.

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