Manly penguin population slowly recovering after fox attacks

ALMOST 100 penguin chicks were born in Manly this breeding season — and it’s exceptionally good news following a devastating number of recent attacks on the birds.

Hugo and Anjelika, two of the penguin chicks at Manly Wharf.

ALMOST 100 penguin chicks were born in Manly this breeding season.

And wildlife experts said it’s good news for the protected birds, as numbers are on the increase after the devastating fox attacks 2015.

National Parks Ranger, Mel Tyas, said they knew about 98 babies which had been born to around 40 breeding pairs.

Penguins Lucky and Bella who live at Manly Wharf. Picture: Kristie King

But she said the population was still recovering after 26 birds were killed before a fox was shot after an operation with snipers and sniffer dogs.

“Chick numbers are going up but breeding pairs are remaining stable. It’s going in the right direction,” she said.

“It has taken a long time for it to recover. We lost a lot of our good male breeding birds.

“The females needed to look for new love. They have to find a new mate, they really have to start again. That’s why it’s really devastating to have dog attacks and fox attacks.”

Hugo and Anjelika were probably not bred as a result of the ‘love machine’.

However, a $3000 ‘love machine’ machine aimed at luring penguins back to Collins beach has so far not had much effect.

The special mating call noises aimed to persuade the birds to return to the spot, which was decimated by the fox.

Ms Tyas said it was a long-term plan but added they’d be working with neighbours unhappy about the noise.

NPWS ranger Mel Tyas and penguin warden Sally Garman on Collins Flat where 26 penguins were killed by a fox. Picture: Annika Enderborg

Meanwhile, famous penguin couple Lucky and Bella, who have their burrow under Manly Wharf, had four chicks this year.

As reported in the Manly Daily, the pair already had two chicks earlier in the season.

They were named Evan and Freya.

They then had Hugo — named for the nearby pizza restaurant whose owner Dave Evans has been a big supporter of the wildlife — and Angel after Angelica Treichler who was the warden who started looking after the penguins at the wharf around 15 years ago.

However, Ms Tyas said only about five per cent of penguin chicks survive.

It’s currently moulting season, which is a critical time for the birds, as they grow new feathers, and cannot swim.

Dog owners especially should control animals around Manly Cove.

Ms Tyas, said: “Penguins can moult anywhere, so in particular we ask that people keep dogs on a lead and away from the harbour foreshore.

“People walking their dogs in the critical penguin habitat at any time will face on-the-spot fines of $300,” she said.

Manly MP James Griffin, said: “We need to make sure we look out for our little local residents, and keep pets like dogs and cats away and inside at night time.”

Back in 1990 there were only 30 penguins in total, and the colony, which is endangered, is the only one on mainland NSW.