PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - Not even lockdown could steal the joy of experiencing the sight of rehabilitated penguins waddling their way to freedom in Plettenberg Bay.
Four African penguins, which were rescued along the Southern Cape coast and nursed back to health at the Tenikwa Wildlife Rehabilitation and Awareness Centre, were released from Lookout Beach in Plett on Friday 19 June.
This was the 12th release of its kind since the first in 2017, and is a collaboration between various local role players including the Nature's Valley Trust, Tenikwa, Robberg Vet, Birdlife Plettenberg Bay, CapeNature, the Plett Stranding Network and Plett Tourism.
The releases usually attract large crowds of excited locals and visitors, but due to lockdown regulations restricting the gathering of people and access to the beach, Friday's release was a bit different. The event went virtual and was live-streamed via Tenikwa's Facebook page. And it appears that the event drew the biggest "crowd" yet with the video receiving more than 2 000 views.
The release efforts are twofold as they not only raise awareness about these marine creatures but also boost the dwindling African penguin numbers. These penguins are endangered and currently only 2% of their historic population remains.
Some of the main causes for this decline include overfishing, with competition from commercial fisheries that catch fish such as sardines, anchovies, and herring. Another major cause is habitat destruction caused by an increase in urban sprawl and historical over-exploitation. This includes extraction of eggs and nesting material used by humans for fertiliser.
Most of the penguins found in the Southern Cape are believed to be from the Port Elizabeth penguin colony, ending up in the area on their quest to find food. Food appears to be plentiful around Plett, while other areas are showing signs of a food-source decline.
In Plettenberg Bay, the penguins are found feeding along the coast and often wash up on local beaches. This is due to factors such as dehydration, exhaustion, arrested moult or illness. They are then nursed back to health and rehabilitated at Tenikwa on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay before being released back into the wild.
Robberg Vet's Brendan Tindell said strict protocols need to be adhered to before the penguins can be released. These include tests to ensure they are in tip-top health.
He added that Friday's release was especially unique as one of the penguins, dubbed Stompie, spent his second stint in rehab before his release last week. His first rehabilitation session followed an oil spill and his most recent was after a seal had bitten off a large part of his foot. "We tried our best to save the foot, but ended up having to amputate it. We however created a stump for him and he has been coping well on it," Tindell explained.
He said the injury did not seem to bother the little penguin when swimming, and during the release Stompie was the first to dive into the waves, followed by the other three. "His chances of survival are much greater in the wild. We've noticed that the abrasive surfaces in enclosures would wear off the stump, whereas this would not be the case in the wild."
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