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African Penguin Research Paper

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African Penguin Research Paper
Abstract
This research paper contains facts about the African Penguin. I obtained these facts through several websites regarding this animal and some reports written by people who study them for a living. This paper discusses how the African Penguin arrived to Africa, its characteristics and body features regarding its ability to swim underwater. It also talks about how it spends most of its life and how they mate and breed. These penguins have a hard life, they have many predators and in this paper you will get to see who these predators are; they have sea predators and land predators as well. The African Penguin is faced with many threats and most of them are our, humans, fault. But in order to help this species survive, there are many conservation plans/programs to help protect these unique animals. There were once more than 1.2 million Penguins in number in 1930 but sadly now there’s only about 170,000 left and 21,000 in breeding.

Introduction
The African Penguin also known as the Black Footed Penguin is on the endangered species list and it currently resides on the south-western coast of Africa, living in colonies on 24 islands between Namibia and Algoa Bay, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The major threats to these penguins are global warming, tourism, fishing, and oil spills; right now there are many conservation efforts all over the world to try and help these poor animals. The African Penguin has characteristics that make it possible for them to swim in the ocean and fish and many other things. Like every other animal in the middle of a food chain these penguins have predators and they have to watch their backs when they 're on land and in the ocean. They usually spend their time at sea hunting for food or they form colonies on the rocky shores when they are breeding.

Its History and Its Habitat
It wasn’t easy for penguins to settle in Africa, they came and went and then came back. The first penguins that settled Africa millions of years ago



Bibliography: • http://www.penguins.cl/african-penguins.htm • http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/110617/african-penguins-endangered-species-cape-town • http://www.arkive.org/african-penguin/spheniscus-demersus/ • http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/birds/penguins/African_penguin.html • http://www.penguinworld.com/types/african.html • http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/printouts/Jackasspenguin.shtml

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