Penguin sweater
Encyclopedia
Penguin sweaters, also known as penguin jumpers, are sweater
s which are knitted for penguin
s that have been caught in oil slicks. When an oil spill
affects penguins, they are dressed in knitted sweaters to stop them preening their feathers and to keep them warm, since the spilled oil destroys their natural oils. This also prevents them from poisoning themselves by ingesting the oil. The sweaters are removed and discarded as soon as the penguins can be washed. The original project has been completed, but the knitting pattern is still available on-line, as subsequent oil spills make it necessary. The extra sweaters are kept on behalf of the Wildlife Rescue Team.
A similar penguin wetsuit
has been made for a penguin who lost his feathers.
Similar garments are being made for battery chicken rehabilitation.
After an oil spill in New Zealand, a plea for hand knitted penguin sweaters resulted in their use to rehabilitate oil soaked birds
Sweater
A sweater, jumper, pullover, sweatshirt, jersey or guernsey is a garment intended to cover the torso and arms. It is often worn over a shirt, blouse, T-shirt, or other top, but may also be worn alone as a top...
s which are knitted for penguin
Penguin
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins have countershaded dark and white plumage, and their wings have become flippers...
s that have been caught in oil slicks. When an oil spill
Oil spill
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is mostly used to describe marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters...
affects penguins, they are dressed in knitted sweaters to stop them preening their feathers and to keep them warm, since the spilled oil destroys their natural oils. This also prevents them from poisoning themselves by ingesting the oil. The sweaters are removed and discarded as soon as the penguins can be washed. The original project has been completed, but the knitting pattern is still available on-line, as subsequent oil spills make it necessary. The extra sweaters are kept on behalf of the Wildlife Rescue Team.
A similar penguin wetsuit
Wetsuit
A wetsuit is a garment, usually made of foamed neoprene, which is worn by surfers, divers, windsurfers, canoeists, and others engaged in water sports, providing thermal insulation, abrasion resistance and buoyancy. The insulation properties depend on bubbles of gas enclosed within the material,...
has been made for a penguin who lost his feathers.
Similar garments are being made for battery chicken rehabilitation.
After an oil spill in New Zealand, a plea for hand knitted penguin sweaters resulted in their use to rehabilitate oil soaked birds
External links
- Lyrics to the James GordonJames Gordon (Canadian musician)James Gordon is a Canadian singer-songwriter, known as a founding member of Tamarack. He has also released more than 20 solo albums. As a prolific songwriter, he is known for such diverse songs as "Sweaters for Penguins" and "Frobisher Bay". He wrote the weekly song for the CBC Radio program...
song, Sweaters for PenguinsSweaters for Penguins"Sweaters for Penguins" is a song written by James Gordon for the CBC Radio program Basic Black. It describes a true incident, in which penguin sweaters were requested to help rehabilitate little penguins injured by oil spills in Tasmania....
http://www.sentex.net/~gormorse/MoreBasicBlackLyrics.html