• Home
  • Mail
  • News
  • Finance
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Search
  • Mobile
  • More
Yahoo
    • Skip to Navigation
    • Skip to Main Content
    • Skip to Related Content
    • Mail
    Follow Us
    • Video
    • Deals
    • Music
    • Good News
    • Recipes
    • Tickets

    New Zealand Penguins in Need of Sweaters

    Christina Ng
    ABC News Blogs•October 20, 2011
    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share


    A yarn store in New Zealand is making an unusual request that is pulling at the heart-strings of the world—they are asking people to sew knit sweaters for penguins affected by the country’s oil spill.

    The “penguin jumpers” are intended to keep the birds warm until they are well enough to be scrubbed down and to prevent them from consuming oil on their feathers while preening.

    The yarn store is called Skeinz and is located in Napier, New Zealand. They posted the request along with instructions and patterns on their website and have already received a “deluge” of jumpers.

    “It’s really precious and overwhelming,” the store posted on its blog along with photos of piles of penguin sweaters.

    On Oct. 5, a cargo ship ran aground in New Zealand, pouring 350 tons of oil into the ocean. The accident has been regarded as the country’s worst environmental disaster in decades.

    More than 1,000 sea birds have already died as a result of the spill, including birds from the country’s native blue penguin population.

    Oil can be extremely harmful to penguins, whose feathers are very different from other birds. They have very dense and tiny feathers of different lengths that stick onto them like Velcro, creating a waterproof pseudo-wetsuit.

    “Basically, when you get even a drop of oil on these birds, it opens up a channel so water can penetrate,” Kevin McGowan of the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology told ABCNews.com. “It’s like a hole in their wetsuit.”

    McGowan said the sweaters could be the equivalent of the plastic cones sometimes put on dogs to prevent them from scratching stitches after surgery or poking at head injuries.

    “When they’re wet, the cold can penetrate, especially in water,” McGowan said. “You don’t want anything to penetrate through that wetsuit armor and oil is a pretty bad thing.”

    Specifications and instructions for the penguin PJ’s can be found on the Skeinz website as well as the address where penguin-loving knitters can send them.

    Reblog
    Share
    Tweet
    Share

    What to Read Next

    • FBI probing whether Pensacola naval base suspect watched mass-shooting videos before attack, sources say

      Good Morning America
    • Live grenade found in dresser donated to North Carolina thrift store

      Good Morning America
    • 'Artificial barriers' winnowing Democratic presidential field: Sen. Cory Booker

      Good Morning America
    • President Trump 'abused his power to improperly put his thumb on the scale for the election': Rep. Zoe Lofgren

      Good Morning America
    • Arkansas police officer 'ambushed and executed' outside station, police say

      Good Morning America
    • New York cop chomps down on razor blade in sandwich, ruled accident by NYPD

      Good Morning America
    • New details emerge in Pensacola naval base shooting as investigation ramps up

      ABC News Videos
    • Heavy rain, strong winds and snow to hit parts of Western US

      Good Morning America
    • Judiciary Committee prepares to hear new testimony Monday

      ABC News Videos
    • Russia, Ukraine to hold 1st major peace summit in years next week

      Good Morning America
    • NFL players team up to promote ocean conservation

      Good Morning America
    • Democrats weigh in on next stage of impeachment process

      ABC News Videos
    • Conservationist attacked by her own tigers at animal sanctuary

      Good Morning America
    • 3 West Virginia corrections workers fired over 'disturbing' Nazi salute photo

      Good Morning America
    • There's a lot of buzz on a new drug to treat the flu

      ABC News Videos
    • Candidates of color raise concern over depleting diversity in the Democratic presidential field

      Good Morning America
    • Trump campaign runs misleading anti-impeachment Facebook ads

      Good Morning America
    • Outrage over new Christmas tree unveiled at state capital

      ABC News Videos
    • American student Xiyue Wang jailed in Iran for 3 years freed in prisoner exchange

      Good Morning America
    • Suspect arrested after allegedly posting video showing rehearsal for mass shooting

      ABC News Videos
    • Questions surround Tesla crash police say was in autopilot mode

      ABC News Videos
    • Taylor Swift lands top spot on Forbes Highest-Earning Musicians list for 2nd time

      ABC News Videos
    • American graduate student jailed in Iran has been freed

      ABC News Videos
    • Parents magazine highlights the best gear for a baby's 1st year

      ABC News Videos
    • Julia Stiles talks about 'Hustlers' and potential Oscar buzz

      ABC News Videos
    • 'The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel' returns for its 3rd season

      ABC News Videos
    • Tory Johnson shares the best deals for skin care

      ABC News Videos
    • Tips for savvy holiday shopping

      ABC News Videos
    • Keanu Reeves' girlfriend reveals why she doesn't dye hair

      ABC News Videos
    • Ryan Reynolds collaborates with actress from controversial Peloton ad

      ABC News Videos
    • Delaware woman leaves snacks out for delivery drivers

      ABC News Videos
    • Amazon says holiday deliveries could be delayed due to bad weather

      ABC News Videos