Endemic to New Zealand, the Yellow-eyed Penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) only lives on the east coast of the South Island and around small islands to the south of the archipelago.

This species is listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with approximately 3,600 individuals. Considered the rarest penguin in the world, it falls victim to predators introduced by humans upon their arrival in the archipelago and to coastal deforestation, which destroys its shelters.

I discovered the work of the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust in 2011 during my first trip to New Zealand. I met Sue Murray at the organization’s headquarters in Dunedin and followed Dave McFarlane and Leith Thomson in the field on the Otago Peninsula and at Curio Bay.

For decades, this Trust has led an incredible rescue program. With the help of numerous volunteers, it recreates the penguins’ protective natural environment by replanting kilometers of coastline using plants from its own nursery. It also ensures the control of penguin predators. Invasive cats, dogs, mustelids, and possums, which have multiplied by millions, must be kept away from hundreds of kilometers of coastline… This extensive strategy has yielded encouraging results, but climate change continues to impact the recovery of this endangered species.