More than 2,000 dead penguins appeared in Uruguay, but it is not known why

During the months of June and July, it is normal for the populations of penguins ( Spheniscus magellanicus ) that live on the southern coast of Argentina to move to Brazil. They do this in search of food and warmer waters, due to the drop in temperatures during the winter in the south of the continent.

According to reporting from The Science Times, the Magellanic penguins, which are the birds, have all tested negative for the avian flu, ruling out a common cause of mass death in bird species.

2,000 dead penguins appeared in Uruguay

Along the way, due to the hundreds of kilometres they have to travel, it is normal for penguins to lose energy, body fat and, in some cases, die during their migration. The waters of the Atlantic Ocean usually carry the bodies of penguins that die towards the Uruguayan coast, so it is not unusual to find them on the beach.

Although at first it was believed that the deaths could be related to the growing cases of bird flu, the Uruguayan Ministry of the Environment carried out an analysis of the bodies found and so far none of the tests have been positive for this disease.

After discarding this first hypothesis, it was found that penguins usually arrive exhausted, due to the loss of fat reserves in their bodies and the lack of food during their migration, something that is normal in these processes.

But, a cause for which they could have died is not yet known. “The sudden drop in temperature in ocean waters has been reported. Different findings were found that are being analyzed and that may be part of what is expected in a population that migrates hundreds of kilometers each year," the entity stated.

Another hypothesis is that the deaths may be related to overfishing, but there is insufficient evidence to support this. For now, the Ministry will continue to perform necropsies on the penguins and asked the population that visits its coasts not to touch the bodies, due to the avian influenza alert.

Overfishing and cyclone cause deaths

According to reporting from NDTV, Richard Tesore of SOS Marine Wildlife Rescue, along with some environmental advocates, speculates that overfishing and various illegal fishing practices could be causing the deaths.

Tesore also informed NDTV that a subtropical cyclone hit southeastern Brazil in mid-July, which may have already caused weaker animals to die off. Other dead animals, such as seagulls and sea turtles, were found by Tesore on the beach.

Killer whales have bumped into and, in some cases, killed individuals, making it the most notable incident in a string of bizarre marine events over the summer, sank sailboats off the Iberian coast.

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