Sixty-three penguins of an endangered species have died after being attacked by bees in South Africa. The BBC reported this, citing bird conservationists in Cape Town.

The protected penguins were found dead in Simon's Town, a small town near Cape Town. No other injuries were found on the dead birds.

South African National Parks officials said it was the first major attack of its kind at Boulders Beach on the Cape Peninsula, which 60,000 people visit every year. Marine biologist Dr Alison Kock said bees and penguins live side by side.

She said bees do not usually sting unless provoked. "We suspect a hive may have been disturbed, causing them to flee in swarms and become aggressive. We are looking into it.

"Unfortunately, the bees may have run into a group of penguins as they flew off."

Post-mortem reports showed the bees had stung the penguins around their eyes. One penguin had been stung 27 times.

Penguins play an undeniable role in protecting biodiversity along South Africa's coast. Conservationists say ensuring the penguins' safety at sea has become practically impossible for various reasons. Experts fear that unless they can be conserved, the species could be wiped out completely within twenty years.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.