After a 2011 oil spill in New Zealand , a local yarn shop put out the call for penguin jumpers , and supplied a pattern . Jumpers were received from all over the world . However , those cleaning and rehabilitating the penguins affected said they neither used nor requested the jumpers : heat lamps were used to keep cleaned penguins warm . Once they are cleaned , there is little danger of them ingesting oil when preening – one of the rationales given for penguin sweaters – and sweaters may in fact do more harm than good to the penguins
2011 oil spill in New Zealand
Rena oil spill
Penguin sweater