There are 17 species of penguins in the world, and 11 are in danger of becoming extinct. There are also only a few thousand left of the yellow-eyed and fiordland penguins which live south of Australia. Penguins are dying off because of pollution, overfishing, coastal development, and climate changes.
Penguins are native to the southern hemisphere.
They live in Antarctica and off the coasts of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America, with some as far north as the Galapagos Islands, which are part of Ecuador. Pollution in the ocean also reduces the ability of penguins to reproduce. In New Zealand and Australia, non-indigenous predators such as cats, dogs, and ferrets feed on the vulnerable penguins. The penguins have limited territory and rely on fishing near their nests. They depend on specific fish such as anchovies and sardines.