By MICHELLE HERBISON
PHILLIP Island’s oil-slicked penguins will have a better chance at recovery thanks to a Queenscliff knitting group.
Member Sue Longmore said she brought to the group a knitting pattern for special jumpers designed to aid recovery for penguins affected by oil spills.
The penguin jumpers will be one of many projects on the go for knitters at this weekend’s World Wide Knit in Public Day celebrations at Queenscliff Uniting Church.
“If there’s an oil problem along the coastline of Victoria or South Australia then a lot of birdlife and wildlife can be affected,” Ms Longmore said.
“A penguin only has to ingest about a thumbnail worth of oil and it will be killed.”
Penguins’ natural preening habits meant they would ingest oil if it was on their coats, Ms Longmore said.
As well as giving warmth to a penguin in shock, the jumpers would stop the penguins’ natural instinct to preen.
“We hope we’ll have a bundle to send off in a month or so to Phillip Island,” Ms Longmore said.
“They keep quite a number of these jumpers in reserve, with the hope they’ll never have to use them, but it only takes a small spill somewhere to cause a big effect.
“We’re a coastal group, so it makes sense to help a special animal that lives in our area.”
Ms Longmore said this weekend at Queenscliff Uniting Church would be heaven for crafters, “from people who aspire to knit to those who can’t put their needles down”.
The group would also knit other products for donation and sale, she said.
