A NUMBER of Humboldt penguins at Longleat have died today due to an outbreak of Avian Malaria in the colony.

It is thought that this would have been contracted through an airborne mosquito.

While this disease does not affect humans, Longleat has taken the decision to close Penguin Island to visitors in order to give their team additional space and time to care for their remaining birds and to allow the "heartbroken" keepers time themselves to get through the experience.

Keepers will be spending the next few weeks doing everything they can to care and treat the remaining penguins in Longleat's collection in the hope that their health improves and they get better.

Humboldt penguins are medium-sized penguins, growing to 56–70cm long and a weight of 3.6-5.9 kg.

They have a black head with a white border which runs from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, and joins at the throat.

Due to a declining population caused in part by over-fishing, climate change and ocean acidification, the current status of the species is threatened.