Baby Puffins Are Being Thrown Off The Cliffs in Iceland — But It’s Not Cruel
Sometimes animals and birds face certain challenges that they can’t overcome on their own. Whether it’s the loss of their habitat, any kind of injury, or threats from human beings, they rely on us for protection and care. Even a few minutes of our busy schedules can have a big impact on the lives of these defenseless animals. For instance, recent reports reveal that people in Iceland are once again throwing baby puffins off cliffs. While this might sound disturbing initially, it's actually a way to help them be safe. Puffins, known for their colorful beaks and charming appearance, are a key part of Iceland’s natural heritage.
As the summer season begins to fade in Iceland, residents of the Vestmannaeyjar islands step in to guide the baby puffins to fly on their first journey toward the ocean. As the night begins, baby puffins leave their nests for the first time. While they take advantage of the moonlight, bright city lights often confuse them, sending them back towards the inland, where they are vulnerable to predators. Therefore, rescue teams and volunteers are set up to patrol towns and villages every night, picking up the stranded birds and carefully releasing them back towards the sea, as reported by IFLScience.
Kyana Sue Powers, an expert adventure photographer, previously spoke about this and stated, “People of all ages wander the streets every night searching for puffins to rescue. It is common to see families walking or driving around with a cardboard box full of pufflings. While the streets aren’t littered with puffins, any given search team can easily find 4-10 pufflings a night.” This heartwarming practice has become a crucial part of puffin survival, as these birds form lifelong bonds with their mates, unlike other species, lay just one egg every season, and don’t breed every year, as reported by Bored Panda.
For locals, helping the puffins is routine, but for those who do it for the first time, it often proves to be a deeply memorable experience. Powers said, “It’s a great feeling because you just rescued this little guy. And when you bring him to the cliff, it’s the first time in his life he’s seen the ocean, and he’s going to live there for the next few years. I’m always like, ‘Bye buddy, have a great life, I can’t wait to see you again'.” However, this act of compassion isn't always an easy one for the rescuers. Rescuer Hafdis Björk Óskarsd revealed, “You get scratched up, you can get hurt. You can twist your ankle running after a puffling; there are so many risks.”
He added, “You have to go under cargoes. You have to go under the cars. You have to go up onto the roofs. Some people jump into the harbor to save them.” However, when they see them flying away, all the hard work seems worth it. Meanwhile, Vestmannaeyjar, a place that hosts Europe’s biggest puffin colony, is the most critical place for puffin rescue efforts. About 90% of Atlantic puffins live in Europe, with 80% nesting in Iceland and Norway, while the remaining 10% are found in Britain and Ireland, as reported by WWF. But these birds are now facing threats from predators, pollution, accidental net entanglement, and more.
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