Aktivitas manusia mengancam penguin kecil, terutama di Pulau Granit, yang jumlahnya menurun tajam. Penelitian menunjukkan keberanian tidak menghalangi pengasuhan orang tua namun meningkatkan stres. Upaya konservasi dan pengurangan campur tangan manusia sangat penting untuk melindungi burung-burung yang rentan ini.
Makalah terbaru yang diterbitkan di jurnal Perilaku menyoroti meningkatnya ancaman terhadap habitat dan koloni penguin kecil akibat pembangunan perkotaan dan aktivitas manusia.
Peneliti dari[{” attribute=”” tabindex=”0″ role=”link”>Flinders University specializing in animal behavior and bird studies used precise red-light remote video surveillance to investigate how being ‘bolder’ parents influences penguins’ parenting strategies in environments affected by human activity.
“The parent-offspring relationship was the focus of our new research,” says Dr. Diane Colombelli-Négrel, from the Flinders University College of Science and Engineering BirdLab.
“When humans are around a lot, the penguins can be bolder.”
Bold behavior relates to how quickly the animal retreats, or how close they let a predator or threat approach them or a nest.
While the researchers predicted bold individuals would invest less time in parental care, as has previously been observed in other bird species, this was not the case.
“We found a penguin’s boldness has no bearing on its performance as a parent, such as how often it returned to the nest, fed its chicks, or stayed overnight. However, the attack or flight response can put the animals under stress.”
The Impact of Human Activity on Penguins
Nevertheless, the research supports the need for fewer interactions between human visitors and penguins, particularly in vulnerable populations, such as on Granite Island located about 100 km south of Adelaide, which attracts about 800,000 visitors a year as a popular tourist attraction.
The colony of little penguins in South Australia – the focus of the Flinders University study – is fighting to survive. About two decades ago, the penguins numbered 1,600 adults – now there are just 30.
Along with human disturbance, the stark decline in little penguin numbers on Granite Island is also linked to declines in fish numbers, changing environmental conditions, and predators such as fur seals and foxes.
Call for Conservation Efforts
“As the summer holidays approach, we urge the public to stay away from the Granite Island penguin nests, and help save these animals by reporting dangers to their habitat,” says Dr. Colombelli-Négrel.
“Urban developments and human activities are encroaching on our natural habitats at a rapidly increasing rate, placing many species under stress from anthropogenic (human) disturbance.
“Our results suggest that constant exposure to anthropogenic disturbance may have negative effects on little penguins and highlight the importance of limiting interactions between human visitors and penguins.”
Para peneliti menambahkan bahwa penting untuk mempertimbangkan apakah gangguan yang meningkat atau berkelanjutan pada manusia pada akhirnya dapat mengubah proporsi ciri-ciri kepribadian dalam suatu populasi.
Dampak jangka panjang dari seleksi atau plastisitas perilaku dapat dipertimbangkan dalam penelitian di masa depan mengenai toleransi kepribadian penguin terhadap gangguan dan keberhasilan pembiakan, simpul mereka.
Penguin kecil (Eudyptula novaehollandiae) adalah spesies penguin terkecil di dunia. Mereka biasanya tumbuh sekitar 35 cm dan berat rata-rata 1,2 kg. Mereka tinggal di perairan pesisir di Tasmania dan Australia selatan – termasuk di Pulau Granit dekat Pelabuhan Victor di SA.
Hanya obor lampu merah yang digunakan saat mengidentifikasi individu penguin di sarang atau pada malam hari, karena cahaya putih dapat membutakan penguin selama beberapa hari.
Referensi: “Apakah orang tua yang lebih berani akan menjadi orang tua yang lebih baik di lingkungan yang terganggu secara antropogenik?” oleh Arisha F. Silverlake, Andrew C. Katsis dan Diane Colombelli-Négrel, 3 Desember 2024, Perilaku.
DOI: 10.1163/1568539X-bja10293
Pekerjaan ini didukung oleh Waterhouse Club, Friends of Encounter Birds, Save Granite Island Penguins Committee, dan Sir Mark Mitchell Foundation.
