The last chicks

We collected the last three chicks still in the colony this week and brought them into rehab. Everyone else has either fledged or has already been collected. We have lost four chicks to avian malaria now and we want to make sure these last three chicks are not fledging while suffering from Malaria. So on every admission blood is taken and analysed immediately. If we can detect the parasite the penguin is immediately put on medication. The blood is double checked by Malaria experts and penguins with false negatives are put on treatment immediately. After the Diphtheria we had 53 chicks left and now are down to 49. Some have fledged naturally and some have fledged through soft-release and more are going into the pens every week. They are ready, big and fat and eager to go. The sea is calling to them!