Penguins need sweaters. Really:

Jumpers are being knitted especially for our fairy penguin population. The clothing is used when the birds have been exposed to an oil spill, absorbing the oil off their feathers and keeping the animals warm in the meantime.

If you're a keen knitter, you can make a penguin jumper to add to the emergency stores. Here are knitting instructions from the Pet Porpoise Pool in Coffs Harbour, who are gathering jumpers for the cause.

How to Knit a Penguin Jumper

You will need:
8 ply wool
1 pair No 9 needles (3.75)
1 pair No 11 Needles (3.00)

Method:
Cast on 36 Stitches
K1 P1 to the end of row...

The ABC Canberra story is from June 15, but I found out from the December 14 story in Improbable Research. One can only assume that penguins still need an emergency store of jumpers, since we haven’t stopped spilling oil around the place.