WEAK PENGUIN CHICKS ADMITTED TO SANCCOB EASTERN CAPE

11 May 2016
WEAK PENGUIN CHICKS ADMITTED TO SANCCOB EASTERN CAPE

Penguin chick captured by Louanne Mostert

Since the start of April, 69 endangered African penguin chicks have been admitted to SANCCOB (the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds), the non-profit seabird centre in Cape St. Francis, Eastern Cape.

 

The penguin chicks were found in a very weak, emaciated state by the Marine Section Rangers of the Addo Elephant National Park (SANParks) on St. Croix Island in Algoa Bay and subsequently, rescued and admitted to SANCCOB to be hand-reared. It is believed that the adult penguins nesting on the island are struggling to find sufficient fish and are also, therefore, unable to feed their young.

 

Five groups of weak penguin chicks have been rescued thus far, on separate occasions, by the Marine Section Rangers, often amid inclement weather conditions and high swells around the island. Juanita Raath, SANCCOB’s Rehabilitation Coordinator, explains, “The chicks that have been admitted were very skinny, dehydrated and malnourished. As small chicks in SANCCOB’s care, they are fed six times a day with a special formula made up of blended fish, water and a variety of vitamins to boost their immune systems. The first feed starts at 06h00 in the morning with the last peeping beak being fed at 21h00.”

 

The smallest chick admitted thus far weighed only 330 grams on admission. Just four weeks later, the chick is doing well and weighing 1.2 kilograms. The rehabilitation of a chick can take anything from six weeks to three months, depending on their size and condition. These penguin chicks will receive extra special treatment from SANCCOB staff and volunteers until, as juvenile penguins, they are deemed fit and healthy enough for release back into an established colony, under careful monitoring from colony managers, SANParks. Penguins found on the nearby Bird Island (also in Algoa Bay) were reported to be in a healthy and well-nourished condition.    

 

Algoa Bay is home to approximately 60% of South Africa’s endangered African penguin population.

The diminishing supply of fish stocks remains one of the major threats to the survival of the species. Once considered to be one of South Africa’s most iconic species, the African penguin was classified as endangered in 2010. With an estimated 25 000 breeding pairs left in the wild, the population is at approximately 2.5% of the estimated figure of one million breeding pairs, recorded in the early 20th century. With the rapid decline of this species, the survival of individual penguins is critical.

 

Rescuing endangered African penguin chicks forms part of the Chick Bolstering Project (CBP), a multi-partner project between SANCCOB, the Bristol Zoological Society, the Animal Demography Unit (University of Cape Town), South African Department of Environmental Affairs (Oceans and Coasts), CapeNature, Robben Island Museum and SANParks. Since the project’s inception in 2006, SANCCOB has successfully released more than 4 000 chicks back into the wild. Independent research confirms that the survival rates for these hand-reared penguins are similar to those of naturally-reared birds, making it an effective conservation intervention.  

 

As a non-profit organisation, SANCCOB asks the public to help raise these African penguin chicks by contributing towards their rehabilitation costs:

  • R230 buys two boxes of fish
  • R500 helps to buy medicine and veterinary supplies
  • R1000 helps to feed and care for one chick

 

Donations can be made via SANCCOB’s website - www.sanccob.co.za - or through an electronic funds transfer to:

SANCCOB

First National Bank

Account #: 59 23 713 5859

Branch: 203809

Account type: Current

SWIFT: FIRNZAJJ461

Reference: Initials, surname & CHICK

 

Members of the public can also adopt and name a penguin, starting from R500, by visiting www.sanccob.co.za.