07/09/2026
A small team of volunteers from Penguin Rehab and Release have just returned from the International Penguin Conference on Phillip Island — and we’re coming home more inspired, more informed, and more passionate than ever about the work we do.
The conference gave us an incredible opportunity to learn from leading penguin researchers, wildlife veterinarians and rehabilitation specialists working with penguins around the world.
While there was plenty of discussion about all the penguin species, there was naturally a strong focus on Little Penguins, with Phillip Island providing a pretty spectacular backdrop surrounded by thousands of them.
During all of the presentations from all of the experts one message came through again and again:
Penguins everywhere are in trouble.
Even populations that were once considered large and stable are experiencing significant declines. Overfishing, climate change and other environmental pressures are affecting penguins around the world.
And every time a penguin population is properly surveyed after years without a comprehensive count, the results are revealing just how much things have changed.
That is particularly concerning for us here in Tasmania.
Tasmania’s Little Penguin population hasn’t had a comprehensive population count in decades.
We don’t know exactly how many penguins we have left.
What we do know is that our local colonies have experienced a series of difficult breeding seasons.
And now they’re also facing bird flu.
That’s a lot of pressure on a species that already has enough challenges to contend with.
At Penguin Rehab and Release, we’ve always focused on helping the individual penguin in front of us. Every bird matters. Every successful rehabilitation and release matters.
But caring for large numbers of penguins also gives us something else: a window into what is happening to the wider population.
We see trends. We see changes. We notice when something doesn’t look right.
And after IPC 2026, we are more determined than ever to explore how we can use that knowledge to contribute to research, conservation and the long-term future of Tasmania’s Little Penguins.
We were also incredibly fortunate to be invited to tour the Phillip Island Nature Parks rehabilitation centre. Their team cares for Little Penguins as well as a wide range of other wildlife, and we had some fantastic conversations about rehabilitation challenges, penguin care and our respective HPAI biosecurity protocols.
It was incredibly reassuring to discover just how closely our own biosecurity practices align with rehabilitation facilities across Australia and around the world. Even more importantly, speaking with people who have already lived through HPAI outbreaks has given us valuable firsthand knowledge and reassurance about the importance — and effectiveness — of strong biosecurity.
One of the most valuable parts of the conference was connecting with rehabilitators from SANCOB working with African Penguins. Their experience with HPAI, which reached their region well before it arrived here, gave us the opportunity to learn firsthand about the challenges they faced, what they would do differently, and how effective biosecurity practices can be.
We came to IPC wanting to learn the latest evidence-based approaches to penguin health, behaviour, rehabilitation, and to build relationships with people doing this work around the world.
We’ve come home with all of that and so much more.
Most importantly, we’re bringing that knowledge back to Tasmania to benefit the penguins in our care.
A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to our conference fund and helped make this opportunity possible and also to Burnie City Council through their Environmental Grant 2024 to 2026.
Professional development opportunities like the International Penguin Conference are invaluable to our team, but ultimately, the goal is simple:
Help more penguins.
