Source: National Geographic
Each summer in Vestmannaeyjabær, Iceland—a town neighboring the world’s largest puffin colony—the annual ritual of rescuing misguided puffin chicks, known as pufflings, unfolds. At night, these six-week-old fledglings emerge from dark cliffside burrows and, confused by the town’s bright lights, stray into streets and rooftops rather than heading toward the sea.
Locals, sometimes climbing dangerous harbor towers, scour the town to rescue them, often at personal risk. Children and families then shelter the rescued pufflings overnight and, come morning, gather on sea cliffs to gently toss them into the air, giving them a proper start toward the ocean. This long-standing tradition supports a vulnerable species: the Atlantic puffin, whose population in Iceland (nd globally) is in steep decline.
Read the full story HERE: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/baby-puffin-throwing-wildlife-rehabilitation