It is extremely unlikely and unusual.
Birds vs. Bees vs. Birds
63 critically endangered South African penguins were killed by angry Cape Honey Bees last week in an attack on the Simons Town penguin colony, South Africa.
Although conservationists believe that this freak event is unlikely to lead to the species' extinction, Reuters reports the dramatic, sudden loss of dozens upon dozens of adult birds puts them in a difficult position. Warning: The Reuters video contains graphic images of penguins.
Extremely Unusual
CNN reports that the dead birds were found on Friday morning with multiple bee-stings all over their skin. Researchers also discovered dead bees along the shore. Scientists were certain that the mass deaths were caused by a bee attack because there was no evidence of any other causes of death or injuries in postmortem analysis.
This is an extremely rare event. It is very rare.
Katta Ludynia from SANCCOB, a research manager, said that the loss of so many birds is a devastating loss that will make it more difficult to keep these species alive. This is especially true because they were healthy adults and could have helped the endangered bird population rebound.
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Ludynia explained that this is because the African penguin, which is endangered, is in such great danger. An accident like this could be handled by a healthy population. We are trying to save all the birds that are left wild because they are so few. It is devastating to lose this many birds.
READ MORE: Dozens Of South African Penguins Are Killed By Bees [Reuters]
More bees: One single honey has created an immortal army with millions of clones
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