I thought this was hilarious.

Quote:

New York knitting community: you are needed. The New Zealand oil spill has left cute, little penguins in need of warmth and protection. A call has been put out for knitters to make penguin sweaters. Yes, PENGUIN SWEATERS. Undoubtedly, the most adorable thing you'll hear all week. According to Grist, a yarn store has even posted patterns for how to knit "penguin jumpers" (hold up, penguin jumpers is now the most adorable thing you'll hear all week), and they've included where the finished products can be sent. The request (which is really really real), isn't the first of its kind, and Grist notes that "the woolens keep oil-soaked birds warm until they're well enough to be cleaned, and prevent them from nibbling oil off their feathers."

Details and further links can be found here:
http://gothamist.com/2011/10/19/psa_please_knit_these_penguins_some.php

Awwww! As if blue penguins weren't cute enough! Hey, humans screwed up; least humans can do is give them some warm clothes until they get proper care. It sounds bizarre, no doubt about that, but if it helps, it helps.

Erm, aren't penguins already suited for the cold?

Well, these little guys live in burrows underground, and it sounds like they're found in many of the same places as man, so I think they're more temperate than penguins from other regions. NZ doesn't really get winter as intensely as we do, in any case, with the exception of the mountains.

Going by the link: "the woolens keep oil-soaked birds warm until they're well enough to be cleaned, and prevent them from nibbling oil off their feathers." So the sweaters are partly for warmth, and partly serving the purpose of the cones that vets make dogs wear after surgery. Awww.

I saw this on a penguin related series on the BBC. Seeing so many people knitting for the little chaps was lovely. Sadly I cant knit otherwise they'd be inundated with jumpers!