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PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS AND VIDEO - The latest in what has become a long line of penguin releases took place last week with a group of four Southern African penguins released back into the Indian Ocean on Saturday 25 November.
The regular releases form part of concerted efforts by local conservationists to boost the dwindling Southern African penguin population and are always a highlight for residents and visitors.
The four penguins were rescued along the coastline over the past few months. They were suffering from a variety of ailments, including parasites and injuries, and were nursed back to health at the Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre.
The first two of the group that arrived at Tenikwa were Merlot, found in Nature's Valley, and Bumble, found in Buffalo Bay. Both arrived on 9 May and were referred to by staff as "double trouble".
Smurf, found in the Buffalo Bay area, arrived the following week with an eye ulcer and avian malaria. The final penguin to arrive at the centre on 6 July, Maya, was also found in Buffalo Bay.
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Dwindling penguin numbers
Steve Serfontein, chairperson of BirdLife Plettenberg Bay, said Saturday's release was the 13th since the initiative was started in 2017. About 114 penguins have been released back into the wild since.
Serfontein stressed the importance of such efforts, saying that of the breeding penguin numbers in Southern Africa in the early 1900s, only 2% are left.
"At this rate these penguins could become extinct by 2026," Serfontein said.
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