PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - It was literally hot out the gate for the four little penguins that were released back into the wild on Saturday after a stint in a Plettenberg Bay animal rehabilitation centre.
The four waddlers raced down Lookout Beach the second their enclosure gate was opened and made it to the water in no time before disappearing into the surf.
The occasion, which was 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, happened in front of a large crowd - the first public release since the Covid-19 pandemic hit last year.
This exercise has been done several times over 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 include overfishing due to competition between commercial fisheries, 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.
Four African penguins raced to freedom after a stint in rehabilitation. Photo: Mike Bridgeford
It is believed that most of the penguins found in the Southern Cape have come here from the Port Elizabeth penguin colony 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 the Tenikwa on the outskirts of Plettenberg Bay where they are nursed back to health before being systematically released back into the wild.
The four that were released were colourful characters. Two of them travelled from Knysna on separate occasions and had become inseparable since their admission to Tenikwa. One was admitted with an arrested moult and some fresh chest scars, suspected to be caused by boat propellers. The wounds healed well and its adult plumage came through.
Four African penguins raced to freedom after a stint in rehabi-litation. Photo: Mike Bridgeford
The penguin's buddy, that was admitted as an adult, stayed by the other's side while it moulted, even preening off old feathers.
The third penguin underwent serious treatment for malaria and fully recovered during its stay at Tenikwa. It recently moulted into its adult plumage too.
The fourth penguin is a juvenile that bonded well with the others.
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