Tragedy at Penguin Island

Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire has announced that a number of its Humboldt penguins have died due to an outbreak of avian malaria among the colony.

Longleat says they would have caught it through an airborne mosquito.

Penguin Island has had to be closed because of the outbreak Credit: Longleat

The disease does not affect humans but the attraction has decided to close Penguin Island to visitors in order to give the team additional space and time to care for the remaining birds. Longleat adds this would also allow the heartbroken keepers time to get through the terrible experience.

Longleat hopes that visitors understand the position the team is in and its reasons for closing the popular attraction.

The keepers have hand-reared most of the penguins and are devastated at their loss Credit: Longleat