PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The public is invited to attend the release of three rescued penguins in Plettenberg Bay tomorrow, Saturday 6 November. The rehabilitation and release of penguins is part of a concerted effort to boost endangered African penguin numbers.
The three penguins have spent months in rehabilitation.
The release is an effort by various conservationists including the Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre, the Nature’s Valley Trust, Wessa beach stewards, CapeNature, the Orca Foundation and BirdLife Plettenberg Bay. Penguins have been released several times in the past three years in an effort to counter dwindling African penguin numbers.
Many penguins wash up on Plettenberg Bay and surrounding beaches due to factors such as dehydration, exhaustion, arrested moult or illness.
According to research, in the 1950s there were about 141 000 African penguins, but 60 years down the line there were only 19 300. Some of the main causes for this decline is overfishing by commercial fisheries for fish such as sardines, anchovies and herring.
Another major cause is habitat destruction caused by an increase in urban sprawl, as well as historical overexploitation. This includes extraction of eggs and nesting material used by humans for fertilisers.
Most of the penguins found in the Southern Cape are believed to be from the Port Elizabeth penguin colony and have ended up in the area on their quest to find food. Food appears to be plentiful in the Plett area while other areas are showing signs of food source dwindling.
These birds are rehabilitated at Tenikwa on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay where they are nursed back to health. They are then systematically released back into the wild.
The release tomorrow is open to the public and will be done on Lookout Beach at 09:30.
Visitors are urged to wear a bowtie in support of these endangered marine animals.
Birdlife Plettenberg Bay will be collecting money for the seabird feeding account at Robberg Fine Foods in aid of Tenikwa.
Covid-19 protocol will be strictly followed. Social distancing and masks will be compulsory.
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