From Penguins to Pandas - the conservation game

Falkland Islands Animal Fact Files

© RZSS 2014

Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands are 1,365km (850 miles) north of Antarctica. They are 644km (400 miles) off the south eastern tip of South America and 12,900km (8000 miles) from Scotland.

They consist of 2 main islands, East and West Falkland and 776 smaller islands.

The Falkland Islands is an overseas territory of the UK which is independent and self governing except for defence and foreign affairs. The total land area is 12,173 sq km (4700 sq miles). The population is approximately 2900 and about 1000 military personnel. 75% of the population live in Stanley, the capital. There are however about 500,000 sheep on the islands!

The main employment in the country is from fisheries, tourism and sheep farming.

The currency (the money used in the country) is the Falkland Islands pound which is the same as the British pound but their notes and coins have lovely pictures of penguins and other wildlife on them.

Falkland Islands Animal Fact Files

The fact files on the following pages, not only provide some information on the animal but also a link to a similar animal in Scotland.

Find out some interesting facts about these animals. Write the fact in the space provided for extra information.

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Please also see the following resource in this pack:

Penguins of the Falkland Islands

To find out more about ‘From Penguins to Pandas’ outreach programme, contact: Sandie Robb, Senior Education Officer, RZSS—[email protected]

Acknowledgements

Polly Phillpot Senior Education Officer, RZSS

Ruth Fraser Senior Education Officer, RZSS

Further Information and resources

Websites:

Royal Zoological Society of Scotland http://www.rzss.org.uk/conservation-programmes/projects/current-projects/united-kingdom- overseas-territories-project and http://www.rzss.org.uk/conservation-programmes/projects/current-projects/falkland-island- raptors

Falkland Conservation http://www.falklandsconservation.com/

Arkive http://www.arkive.org

International Union for Conservation of Nature http://www.iucnredlist.org/

Books:

Liddle, Ali. Falkland Island Penguins - Arts and Crafts for Children. Falklands Conservation, 2007

Woods, Robin W. and Anne. Birds and Mammals of the Falkland Islands. WILDGuides Ltd, 2006

Smith, Miranda. Penguins. Scholastic Inc, 2012

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