With over half the world's penguin species under threat, CNN’s Call to Earth speaks to Global Penguin Society founder Pablo García Borboroglu, on why he has dedicated his life to their conservation by conducting research and preserving their habitat.
Established in Argentina over a decade ago, Borboroglu explains why the Global Penguin Society looks to counter the pressure the flightless birds face on two fronts:
“In the ocean, they are affected by climate change, also by marine pollution and fisheries mismanagement. But penguins, they need to go on land to build a nest and take care of their chicks — so they are also exposed to threats on land, including the human disturbance and the introduction of unfamiliar predators.”
To respond to these threats, CNN hears how the Argentinean conservationist has established a global educational program engaging local communities and schools to increase awareness and work with governments and landowners to improve decision-making on matters that affect penguin conservation.
Borboroglu said their work has now expanded out of Argentina and across the Southern Hemisphere — having benefited 2.4 million penguins whilst also introducing the species to a whole new generation of children in the process.
“I think the younger generations are much more educated about the environment compared to my generation.” He told CNN, “I mean, when I was 10 years old, the environment was not an issue, and nobody was telling us about the problems we were causing.”
As the Global Penguin Society expanded further across the world, Borboroglu told CNN he believes saving penguins has a wider conservation benefit for other marine life.
“At the end of the day, we work to change the attitude and the behavior of people. We cannot change the behavior of animals or our environment. So, when we work with people and we reach that goal, seeing that they really get involved and they develop this sense of ownership and they want to protect wildlife, that’s the day when we say: ‘Okay mission accomplished.’” — courtesy Call to Earth
