Dead puffins that have been washed ashore in the Canaries are not the victims of bird flu, according to scientists at the University of Las Palmas.
Puffins have been discovered in Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura since early January. Scientists believe rough weather may have blown them away from their usual territories in the North Atlantic, and confirmed that most of the seabbirds had died of starvation, quashing persistent rumours that they were suffering from bird flu.
Some puffins have been found alive and have successfully recovered once fed and cared for. The environmental department at Lanzarote’s Cabildo has requested anyone who finds a puffin to call the Wildlife Recovery Service on 696733177 or the Environmental Department on 928598548.
For regular updates, pictures and videos of Lanzarote be sure to like and follow our Facebook page “Gazette Life Lanzarote”.
