Peru Govt. investigates pelican deaths
Image - Fabiola Valle
The government of Peru has launched an investigation after hundreds of pelicans have been found dead along a 70km/40 mile stretch of the Lambayeque and Piura coastlines. The Peruvian Maritime Institute (Imarpe) has stated that 538 pelicans and 54 boobies were recently been found in varying states of decomposition, along with five sea lions and a turtle. Preliminary reports suggest that the pelicans died on the beaches where they were found rather than having died out at sea prior to being washed ashore.
The dead bodies have been found in the same region where approximately 800 dolphins were also found dead earlier this year after contracting a morbillivirus. Explaining, Stefan Austermuehle of local NGO Mundo Azul said "We know that in other cases in the United States up to 50% of populations were killed by the virus. What we also know...is that in previous cases animals that have higher loads of pollutants in their body will fall easier victims to these kind of diseases because their immune system is weakened."
The Peruvian Government has declared itself “deeply worried” by the deaths, and the need for further tests to identify the pelicans' cause of death has been declared. Imarpe has also stated that the results of the previous tests on the dolphins would be published shortly.
