Track and back your favourite tweeting penguin in the name of conservation

What do you get if you stick some satellite trackers on five penguins, hook up the devices to an interactive map and set the birds loose off the coast of southern Africa? The latest savvy tech conservation campaign to hit the web — and it’s called The Penguin Run.

In a bid to draw attention to the plight of the African penguin, conservation organisation BirdLife South Africa has put together a website which tracks the current location of and distance travelled by five birds dotted along the east and west coast of South Africa. With a shrinking amount of food left in the seas due to overfishing, the birds may have to travel great distances to find their next meal — information which the organisation’s penguin tracking project can use to help identify which areas need to be protected.

The general public can lean more about the conservation efforts, donate to the cause and follow along on the birds’ travels on The Penguin Run’s website using a colour coded map which tracks the progression of five penguins named Skip, Titan, Siren, Hank and Fluke.

BirdLife is gamifying the swim through a leader board which tracks which penguin has swum the farthest and encouraging penguin lovers to back their favourite bird by following them on Twitter. Yes, the birds all have their own accounts (and quirky personalities), and they’re tweeting updates (and light-hearted jibes at their competitors) as they go.

Catch me if you can boys. You know where to find me. #openwater #thedeepblue #sharkterritory #thepenguinrun

— Siren The Penguin (@SirenThePenguin) October 7, 2013

Penguins. Penguins are missing @FlukeThePenguin When you're done trying to find yourself join us back in the real waters. #thepenguinrun

— Hank The Penguin (@HankThePenguin) October 7, 2013

@TitanThePenguin Keep yer self in check son. I've clocked more miles than any of yer young whipper snappers. And best yer remember that…

— Skip The Penguin (@SkipThePenguin) October 7, 2013

I'm not lost. I'm just wonderfully weird. #thaaaatsfluke #thepenguinrun

— Fluke The Penguin (@FlukeThePenguin) October 7, 2013

So far, Fluke (nicknamed “the birdbrain” and currently off drifting off shore near the South Africa / Namibia border) has attracted the most followers, presumably for getting lost and swimming in zig zags miles away from his companions, but current leader Siren and the penguin coming last so far (Hank) are catching up. To date, some of the birds have travelled almost 200km in a day — but with six days left to go til the end of the race (it runs from 7-13 October), it’s still pretty much anyone’s game.

Image: Catherine Murray via Flickr.