- It is expected that once the penguins are in optimal condition, they can be reintroduced into the coastal areas of Chile.
Chile, February 20, 2025 – With a view to contributing to the conservation of native Chilean species, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service (Sernapesca) and LATAM’s Solidarity Plane program have provided free transportation for protected marine fauna requiring completion of their rehabilitation.
Thus, on Friday, an operation was carried out to transport three Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) from the Antofagasta region to Santiago, so they could continue their rehabilitation at the Safari Conservation Foundation, located in the O’Higgins region.
Originally, the specimens were rescued after stranding on different beaches in the central sector of Antofagasta between June and August 2024. Two of them had fishing gear such as lines, bait, and hooks inside, requiring surgery to extract these elements. The penguins were housed at the Rehabilitation Center of the University of Antofagasta, and to accelerate their recovery, it was decided to transfer them to the Safari Conservation Foundation.
Ricardo Sáez, head of Sernapesca’s Conservation and Biodiversity Unit, stated that “last year there were oceanographic conditions on the coasts of Chile that affected the availability of food for these species, which caused alterations in the health of the populations. In the case of these specimens, this problem arose as all were found with low body weight, among other ailments. The number of days they will need for rehabilitation will depend on how they evolve at the new rehabilitation center, which has better enabling conditions for this process.”
For his part, Juan José Tohá, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability for the LATAM group, pointed out that “supporting Sernapesca is very valuable for LATAM. Our Solidarity Plane seeks to contribute to the societies where we operate, and a concrete way to do this is by supporting with what we do best: providing connectivity, so that native fauna that has been affected for various reasons can receive the necessary rehabilitation and be reintroduced into their natural environment in the best conditions.”
Soledad Tapia Almonacid, National Director of Sernapesca, also valued that “the transport provided by LATAM allows us to facilitate procedures and improve the transfer conditions for protected marine fauna over long stretches, such as Antofagasta and Santiago, so that their rehabilitation processes are appropriate to their needs, thus increasing the probabilities of successful reintroduction into their natural habitat. This means great support for fulfilling our role in the conservation efforts carried out by our officials throughout Chile.”
About the Solidarity Plane Program
For over 13 years, and through alliances with various foundations and institutions, the LATAM group’s Solidarity Plane program has sought to support the community by making its structure, connectivity, and passenger and cargo transport capacity available free of charge throughout South America, to assist in matters of health, environment, and natural disasters.
Currently, the program has nearly 50 alliances in Chile, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. And within our country, it works with Teletón, Coaniquem, Bomberos de Chile, DKMS, and the Ministry of Health, among others.
In 2024 alone, the program mobilized 1,655 people and over 400,000 kilos of cargo free of charge in Chile.
