A new penguin sanctuary opens in the Cape region
A new seabird sanctuary at Sanccob’s Cape Recife center in Gqeberha provides a safe haven for African penguins in need.
The new upgraded facility, four times bigger than its predecessor, features multiple waterfalls, a pool, and cozy nesting spots for penguins and other seabirds.
The enclosure is also equipped with mosquito netting (to prevent the potential spread of avian malaria) and has ample space for both the birds and visitors.
‘Home pen’ birds
This new facility, spearheaded by the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sanccob) and aided by private funding, will house 45 African penguins and one Cape gannet.
These birds cannot be released back into the wild, either due to being born in captivity or having suffered severe injuries.
“The aim was to try to recreate their natural environment and thereby give them maximum enrichment and stimulation,” Sanccob rehabilitator Bernadette Payne told The Herald.
“These birds are a key part of our visitor and school education programmes and we need to do the best possible for them. So with the existing pool there are now rocks, ramps and trees and several waterfalls where before there was only one, which did not flow very well.”
Payne noted that Sanccob had also replaced the old “inappropriate-looking” fibreglass nests with ones made out of artificial rock.
They have installed a micro-sprinkler system to keep the birds cool on warmer days, while the shade netting also serves to protect birds from the sun.
The tier of raised seating at the Cape Recife facility is still in place opposite the pool, but visitors can now enjoy an improved layout with more space to observe the birds up close.
“The adjusted layout and extra space allow visitors to move through the home pen and to be able to have a good look at the birds, wherever they are,” Payne added.
Critically-endangered penguins
Sanccob rescues and rehabilitates various seabird species, including cormorants and Cape gannets, but their efforts are particularly focused on saving the critically-endangered African penguin.
African penguin numbers have dwindled from over a million breeding pairs to just around 10 000 pairs over the last century.
In the Eastern Cape, a key surviving population lives in Algoa Bay on Bird and St Croix islands. The species faces numerous threats, including overfishing, pollution, and habitat degradation.