Penguins die following malaria attack.

The Wiltshire attraction has announced that 24 Humboldt penguins passed away due to an outbreak of Avian Malaria in the colony.The disease was passed on by a mosquito,Avian Malaria has chronic side affects and "heartbroken" zookeepers are battling hard to save the remaining ten birds. The Humboldt penguin is originally from South America, with the breed normally found around coastal areas of Peru and Chile.Darren Beasley Head of Animal Operations at the safari park says it's a difficult time for all concerned: "Although our penguins are a tough bunch this has subsequently led to problems with the remaining group, leading to a very distressing time for everyone involved in their care. Our team of keepers are absolutely devastated - they have looked after the penguins each and every day, with most of the penguins having been hand-reared by the team since hatching." "Despite the best efforts of our team and with expert advice from other collections around the country who have previously experienced the same tragedy, we have still been unable to save a large amount of these incredible and popular aquatic birds." more