Photo: Endangered Yellow Eyed Penguin Reserve Otago New Zealand

A Yellow Eyed Penguin rests in the grass at the Penguin Place Reserve on the Otago Peninsula in Otago, which is located on the East Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. This reserve was founded in 1985 and was built to protect these animals.

The Yellow Eyed Penguin, proper name Megadyptes antipodes, is native to New Zealand. They are named as such because of their yellow eyes and the yellow band around their head. This penguin mostly breeds around the South Island but also in a few other places throughout New Zealand. Many tourists come to the island to see the penguins in their natural habitat and observe them from a close, but safe distance.

These penguins are currently listed as endangered, and it is thought that there are only about 4,000 of them left in the world; out of all the penguin species, these are the rarest. It also might be the oldest species of penguin. The main reasons that they are so endangered is that they keep losing their habitat and they are vulnerable to predators. ... continue below the picture...

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For these reasons, a habitat just for these animals like Penguin Place, is so important as it will help preserve the species. Tourists can visit the penguins here but only through guided tours so as not to disturb any more of their habitat.

When the Penguin Place Reserve was established in 1985, there were only 8 breeding pairs of these penguins. In 2006, they counted 19 breeding pairs.

Yellow Eyed Penguin, Megadyptes antipodes, resting in the grass at the Penguin Place Reserve on the Otago Peninsula, Otago, East Coast, South Island, New Zealand.