Extra Protection after Leopard Kills 33 Endangered Penguins in SA Beach Colony

CapeNature announced today it has increased the protection of endangered African penguins in Betty’s Bay, following an incident in which a leopard “regrettably” killed 33 of the penguins during a single visit.

The incident occurred on Saturday 11 June 2016 when the leopard was spotted near the colony. It killed 33 and left one injured.

According to CapeNature, the organisation responsible for biodiversity conservation in the Western Cape, the leopard fed on only two of the penguins. The mass killing is apparently a common predatory behaviour called ‘surplus killing’ in which an animal burns up its excess hunt energy when faced with easy food like penguins.

In a post on Facebook on Monday, Cape Nature said it has increased nocturnal patrols and introduced additional scent deterrents at the Stony Point penguin colony, one of the largest breeding colonies of endangered African penguins in the world.

A surviving chick and five penguin eggs were also found at empty nest sites in the area, and were sent to SANCCOB, a seabird rehabilitation centre. SANCCOB confirmed the birds’ wounds were consistent with those caused by a leopard.

CapeNature said: “We have been conducting daytime vigilance and nocturnal patrols at the colony by using scent deterrents such as lion scat and pepper spray to discourage the leopard from returning to the site.

“Dog patrols are conducted randomly to aid in defensive scent marking, while camera traps have been set up in locations to remotely monitor occurrences.”

The plight of both the leopard and the penguins is on many locals’ minds with residents calling on CapeNature to preserve the last of our leopards and one Facebook commenter, Andy Lawrence, saying: “Cape Nature, I do appreciate penguins are endangered but the Cape Leopard even more so! This is the leopard’s natural environment to predate! Just tell me where else they are going to get their food? If they raid farms what are you doing to educate farmers! Are we going to lose leopards ifo penguins?”

During the 1980s and 1990s more than 100 birds were predated by a leopard.

While bird populations are declining on most island colonies, Stony Point has been extremely successful – increasing its breeding pairs from 1,244 in 2010 (when the African penguin was declared endangered) to over 2,388 today.