Adopt a penguin
The adorable Adélie penguin. Captivating, inquisitive and incredibly vulnerable to threats like climate change.
Adélie penguins depend on sea ice for their main food source - krill. But parts of the Antarctic and Southern Ocean are warming rapidly, which is affecting the penguins' feeding grounds.
CHOOSE A MONTHLY AMOUNT
Your adoption really helps
Animal adoptions like yours give a huge boost to our work. They help fund projects to work with local communities to monitor Adélie penguin movements and protect their habitat.
Protect these incredible animals and receive:
Cuddly toy
An optional soft toy to love forever.
Regular updates
Both Wild World and My Penguins magazines will keep you up-to-date three times a year.
Fact pack
Packed with facts, bookmarks and stickers.
A wonderful gift
Give a gift that will help protect the future of Adélie penguins and their habitats
Adélie penguins are one of the smallest and most widely found penguins in the Antarctic. They might seem clumsy on land, but they’re brilliant swimmers. They can dive down to 180m – though they tend to catch their food (mainly krill and fish) much closer to the surface.
Threats
Loss of prey
Climate change is reducing the amount of sea ice in parts of the Antarctic. One of the Adélie penguins' main food sources, krill, breeds and feeds under the sea ice.
More snow
Adélie penguins only nest on bare, dry land and increased snowfall during late winter and early spring may cause chicks to hatch later. There's less krill around at this time of year, which can affect the chicks’ chances of survival.
Overfishing and oil
Overfishing of krill and oil pollution from shipping accidents are also threats to the Adélie penguin and its environment.
Gentoo penguins
Adélie penguins may also lose ground to Gentoo penguins, which are better adapted to warming Antarctic environments.
How we can help
We work with governments, industries and individuals to help reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. We encourage them to switch to renewable energy – to help minimise climate change and the warming that threatens Adélie penguins, their food sources and their habitat.
We’re also involved in helping improve the way Antarctica is managed through the Antarctic Treaty and the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). They ensure that fisheries are sustainable and aim to eliminate illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing.
Your adoption and support will help us:
- improve the management of Antarctica’s resources and safeguard its wildlife
- establish a network of marine protected areas covering at least 10% of the 20 million km² Southern Ocean
- reduce illegal and unsustainable fishing practices
- raise awareness of the threats of climate change we all face
- fund our other essential work around the world
When on land, penguins alternate between walking and tobogganing – sliding over the ice on their bellies, propelled by their feet and flippers