Penguin Watch Talk

African Penguin Awareness Day was Saturday 7th October

  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    African penguin Awareness Day, Saturday 7th October. I was very glad to see suggestions for helping with this great life-saving adventure that are cost free for us volunteers - please see below. And thank you on behalf of all penguins! 😃

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    Message from SANCCOB:

    Today we celebrate this unique, iconic seabird ... while raising awareness of the urgent need to protect it.

    The only penguin species endemic to the African continent, there are now fewer than 23 000 breeding pairs left in the wild ... making this one of the most endangered species in the world.

    Near or far, if you want your children to live in a world that includes this amusing waddling bird, please help us save the African penguin from extinction.

    Here are a few ideas of steps you can take right now to help:

    • Make a personal pledge to join the fight against marine pollution, especially plastics. Refuse, re-use, and recycle plastic bags,
      drinking straws, bottles and packaging.
    • Help spread the word about SANCCOB's marine conservation work, and encourage others to support us.
    • Join our volunteer programme; roll up your sleeves and come and help clean out pens, cut up fish, or help out with admin tasks
      at any of our seabird centres in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth or Cape St Francis.
    • Make a financial contribution towards the cost of food, veterinary supplies and care for penguins undergoing rehabilitation at SANCCOB

    Whatever you do, please do something ... and play a life-saving role with like-minded individuals and corporates.

    October is not only a time of publicly and actively promoting awareness of this endangered species, it's also the beginning of chick season at SANCCOB. Nearly 500 abandoned African penguin chicks are admitted to our facilities at this time every year, when their parents moult and are unable to enter the sea to fish for their young until their waterproof feathers have regrown.

    Identifying, rescuing and hand-rearing these chicks at our seabird centres, is a successful conservation programme which has the power to stem the decline of the endangered African penguin.

    But it takes time, skill, and a great deal of money ... around R7 000 from admission to release for one chick. Still, the incredible feeling of satisfaction you get when a strong, healthy young penguin is released into the wild to live and continue the cycle of life, makes it all worthwhile.

    Please be part of this life-saving initiative, visit our website today.

    Thank you for caring!

    Dr Stephen van der Spuy Executive Director

    There's a wonderful video of SANCCOB's work here: enter link description here

    Posted