Little penguins at risk of vanishing from WA island as once-thriving colony reduced to 120 birds
by Narelle Towie from on (#6MW7Z)
Exclusive: Study shows Penguin Island population in freefall, sources say, amid pressure from tourism, boat traffic and warming seas
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A once-thriving population of little penguins on a tourist island off Perth's coast has plummeted to no more than 120 birds, with plans to build a container port in nearby foraging grounds further threatening the survival of the colony.
The latest population study on Penguin Island - 600 metres offshore and 50km south of Perth city - has revealed that penguin numbers have crashed by two-thirds in the past five years, sources say.
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