Nine Magellanic penguins were released back into the sea at Punta del Este on Wednesday after months of rehabilitation by Uruguayan conservationists.
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The birds had been rescued after washing up along Uruguay’s coast suffering from hypothermia, malnutrition and injuries caused by fishing nets.
The Maldonado Society for the Conservation of Biodiversity (SOCOBIOMA) treated the penguins with veterinary care, food and time to allow their plumage to regain the waterproofing essential for survival at sea. Volunteers said many of the animals arrived weak, anaemic and unable to feed themselves due to a shortage of fish in nearby waters.
Once released from cages, the penguins slowly crossed the sand and entered the Atlantic Ocean as crowds applauded. Magellanic penguins nest along the coasts of Argentina and Chile, migrating north during the southern hemisphere winter in search of food and warmer waters, sometimes reaching Peru and Brazil.