Little penguins star in fundraiser flick

The famous Phillip Island Penguin Parade will be live streamed into thousands of loungerooms around the world, raising vital funds to care for sick and injured little penguins.
On Thursday 24 April, the eve of World Penguin Day, people will be able to tune-in to the iconic spectacle, watching hundreds of little penguins emerge from the water and waddle to their burrows via a network of nature-sensitive cameras set up around the Parade.
Viewers from as far as China, India, America and the UK will be watching, with special commentary from Phillip Island Nature Parks’ rangers.
The one-off live event kicks off The Penguin Foundation’s fundraiser, which raises money for the Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre and little penguin habitat conservation.
Jessica McKelson, General Manager Conservation at Phillip Island Nature Parks said little penguins, while remarkable and resilient, face a growing number of threats.
“From malnutrition and illness, to injury and heat stress, little penguins have a lot to contend with for such small birds,” Ms McKelson said.
“With your support, we can continue to offer them the care and protection they need to survive and thrive.”
“Each year, we admit little penguins suffering from illness or injury associated with various environmental issues like food scarcity, extreme weather events and changing oceanic weather patterns. Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is staffed with passionate and skilled team members, who work tirelessly to provide life-saving care.”
“With each of these challenges the future of the little penguin can be put at risk, making our rehabilitation, health research and conservation efforts crucial for the local population.”
Phillip Island’s little penguin population is the largest in the world, with 37,000 birds calling the island sanctuary home.
The Penguin Parade live stream first aired in 2020, running for 112 consecutive nights and amassing 25 million views across 112 countries.
Every donation makes a difference:
• $25 provides essential care for a malnourished penguin, helping them regain strength and health.
• $50 will fund the rehabilitation of an injured penguin.
• $100 helps restore critical habitats through revegetation efforts to protect natural environments for penguins.
• $250 equips our Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre with the tools and resources needed to care for more penguins in need.
• $500 supports long-term research and conservation projects focused on penguin health, habitat restoration, and species protection.
To donate visit www.penguinfoundation.org.au or click the link in the YouTube feed
To watch, tune into https://www.youtube.com/user/PIPenguinParade on the eve of World Penguin Day, 24 April at 6pm AEST.