Knitting for a WADDLEFUL CAUSE
SOPHIE’S BOOK SHARES HOW TINY JUMPERS SAVED THE ENDANGERED BIRDS
Sophie Cunningham fell in love with penguins when she was 8 years old. As the sunset penguin parade began, she stood mesmerised while hundreds of feather balls waddled up the sand to squawk at Phillip Island locals.
“It was the most charming thing to observe and filled me with joy,” Sophie, now an environmental advocate, remembers. “I love them so much. They’re fascinating little creatures – amusing, highly intelligent and a delight to watch.”
In 2001, Sophie watched on in dismay when an oil spill threatened the livelihood of the little penguin – sometimes called fairy penguin – population.
Heartbreaking images dominated the news of birds caked in thick, black slick. As they tried to preen themselves to remove the muck, the penguins ingested the oil, making them sick. Their saturated coats meant they were unable to retain heat to survive.
“It was heartbreaking,” Sophie tells New Idea.
Quickly, a quest to preserve and protect the penguins was launched. A campaign to knit tiny jumpers for the penguins saw over 100,000 featherfriendly garments sent from all over the world to keep the rescued penguins safe and warm while they were waiting for their feathers to be cleaned.
As a result, thousands of little penguins were saved. Inspired, Sophie wrote an illustrated children’s book that tells the true story about penguin pals, Flipper and Finnegan, who were in danger when they were caught in the oil spill, and how the tiny jumpers saved them and their fellow little penguins.
Researching the book saw Sophie return to where she watched the penguin parades as a child.
“I loved it even more than I did the first time around,” Sophie says.
“It was also good to see the efforts gone into rectifying the mess we made as humans. Now the population is thriving.
“I hope my book helps parents and children see how wonderful these animals are, but also how humans need to help animals when they are vulnerable and in need.
“I want old and young to know that we can make a difference to ensure we preserve and protect not just penguins, but all creatures great and small.”