The Struggle to Save African Penguins From Extinction
Key Highlights :
June 14, 2023 - This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked reputable news agency proofread by Claire DOYEN
At a South African clinic, a small fish is dangled under the beak of an emaciated penguin, in an effort to whet the bird's appetite. The sickly animal is among dozens undergoing treatment in the coastal town of Gqeberha, where a dedicated rehabilitation center is on a mission to bring African penguins back from the brink of extinction.
The endangered species, which waddles awkwardly on land but turns into a fast-swimming torpedo in the water, has suffered a drastic decline in numbers over the past three decades. Around 50,000 mating pairs—penguins are monogamous—inhabited the shorelines of South Africa and Namibia three decades ago. Today the number has dropped to 10,000 pairs, a jaw-dropping 80 percent population decrease. Zoologists say this is even more worrying, given that a healthy penguin population is considered indicative of a healthy marine ecosystem.
The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) is leading the charge to protect the African penguins. "We are trying to reverse some of the human damage caused to these birds over the years," says Caitlin van der Merwe, a seabird ranger at SANCCOB.
The penguin clinic is currently teeming with feathered patients. Over the past two weeks, about 40 baby penguins have been transferred from Bird Island, an islet home to one of Africa's largest penguin colonies about 60 kilometers off Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth. Heavy rains have battered the island, washing away nests and chicks. The little black and white birds traditionally dug their nests into a thick layer of guano—a mixture of droppings and remains that accumulate over time. But the organic substance has been plundered for use as natural fertilizer, and the penguins now have to make do with branches or in cracks in the rocks, which make for a less sturdy home. And for the first three months of their lives the birds are covered only by gray plumage that offers little protection from water and cold. The rains caused many to drown or die of hypothermia.
The center is busy disinfecting, stitching and bandaging wounds. Footbaths, sardines and medicines are also part of the treatment. In total, around 100 birds, both young and adult, are cared for in the clinic. The goal is to return them to the wild in the shortest time possible, limiting interaction with humans to what is strictly necessary. Some of the birds are kept hydrated through a small tube inserted in their gullets. Desperate ones are euthanized. For those who are fit enough, rehab continues in the pool. "If they don't swim, they don't drink," says van der Merwe.
Besides extreme weather events, African penguins are also threatened by diseases, overfishing and pollution. Gqeberha is home to a major port and huge cargo ships refuel offshore. Spills in the recent past have seen frantic attempts to rescue and clean up oil-tarred penguins. At current rates of decline, African penguins could become extinct within a decade, according to the Environment Ministry.
The dedicated team at the penguin clinic is doing its best to save the species. "The ocean has such a complexity. If we take bits here and there, the whole system will collapse," van der Merwe says. With their help, the African penguins may yet be saved from extinction.
